1
as in fumbling
to make a mistake
we all screw up from time to time, so don't sweat it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in blowing
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
you've totally screwed up the spreadsheet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of screwing up
First of all, don’t hide misdeeds and screwups, which comes naturally by not committing misdeeds and not screwing up.
—
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Right now, Iranians are blaming, appropriately, the regime for screwing up the country.
—CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Tim overcame his fear of screwing up again and asked Lucy to move in.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
After screwing up his job interview, Anders tries to see his sister, who’s been burned by him one too many times and sends her girlfriend to run interference.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
As Nick in the present-adjacent day sure knows a hell of a lot about Dante Alighieri, perhaps the best person to criticize him and recognize his gaps in logic and knowledge, and how Nick is so profoundly screwing up his own life, would be Dante himself.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Right now, Iranians are blaming, appropriately, the regime for screwing up the country.
—CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Tim overcame his fear of screwing up again and asked Lucy to move in.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
After screwing up his job interview, Anders tries to see his sister, who’s been burned by him one too many times and sends her girlfriend to run interference.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
As Nick in the present-adjacent day sure knows a hell of a lot about Dante Alighieri, perhaps the best person to criticize him and recognize his gaps in logic and knowledge, and how Nick is so profoundly screwing up his own life, would be Dante himself.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwing up
Verb
-
One is how the administration is kind of fumbling around.—
Steve Metsch,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
-
This alone can shave valuable minutes off your screening and help you to breeze through the scanner instead of fumbling at the bins.—
Kayla Kitts,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Other people’s opinions, or slipping up and saying the wrong thing?—
Jordan Robinson,
SELF,
19 Mar. 2026
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Smart’s Bulldogs could now do with the Crimson Tide slipping up to improve their conference prospects, with Texas A&M still out in front as the SEC’s only unbeaten team.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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At least not Will Welch, GQ’s longstanding editor-in-chief and global editorial director, who was absolutely zen about the threat of an atmospheric river mucking up the mag’s Men of the Year celebration last night.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Nov. 2025
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What's mucking up the process is a telepathic outlier named The Mule (Pilou Asbæk), whose ravenous appetite for galactic dominance has created anomalies in Seldon's branching prognostications of how this whole ordeal will unfold.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Shopping on Rue La La feels a lot like stumbling across a secret sale, with some of the very best deals on designer goods, including swoon-worthy handbags.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
20 Mar. 2026
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The bubble was the softest in recent memory, with one team after another stumbling late in the season.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Less than a minute into the game, Wild defenseman Brock Faber went to the penalty box for tripping and the Rangers converted on the ensuing power play.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, Avantika is the comedic standout as Bible-thumper Grace, who has no trouble taking down full grown men while tripping on drugs throughout much of the film, providing endless levity to the most dire of scenarios.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screwing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwing%20up. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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