1
as in distorts
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
screwed up his face at the taste of the medicine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in squeezes
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
managed to screw his siblings out of their share of the inheritance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of screws
Kinto’s travel tumbler ($34) is a handsome receptacle available in a number of colors, with a lid that screws on tight and enough insulation to keep a cup of coffee warm all day long.
—
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Or are those simply screws Vrabel’s staff will tighten with more time and practice?
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Or are those simply screws Vrabel’s staff will tighten with more time and practice?
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screws
Verb
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The paper burns away when fired in the kiln, leaving a structure that slumps and distorts under the effects of heat and gravity.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
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But the idea that an AI bot can determine a verdict by assessing evidence distorts the meaning of legal judgment.—
Sonali Chakravarti,
The Conversation,
5 May 2026
Verb
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For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran’s already weakened economy by denying it long-term cash flow.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
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The waves, which were first used in Boston in 2011, help spread things out so that runners don’t have to walk after the start, when Main Street in Hopkinton squeezes to just 39 feet wide.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kinks are critical in determining where a material deforms, appearing in situations such as metals bending permanently or DNA strands separating.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2026
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Going to space is harsh on the human body, and as a new study from our research team finds, the brain shifts upward and backward and deforms inside the skull after spaceflight.—
Rachael Seidler,
Space.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Carrera now plucks the melody in single notes.—
Peter Wayne Moe,
Longreads,
26 Mar. 2026
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But if Rick later plucks something from behind that rock at the fire, are others going to start poking around looking for stuff?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The retrospection tortures her.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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Later, in one of the movie's most satisfying scenes, Millie locks Andrew in the attic and tortures him by loudly smashing each plate.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The top-two primary system also cheats voters by pushing all candidates onto one primary ballot.—
John Seiler,
Oc Register,
29 Apr. 2026
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Inspired by real stories, Eva Marcille portrays a wife who miraculously cheats death after her husband’s (Tyler Lepley) betrayal in Pushed Off a Plane and Survived airing on February 28.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Antarctic Peninsula, a spindly chain of icy mountains which sticks off the west side of the continent like a thumb pointing toward South America, is one of the fastest warming places in the Southern Hemisphere.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
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Each sticks their face in the fan at an admirable level, but separation ability will always be their calling card.—
Jimmy Durkin,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Monk’s music contorts into an ecstatic dance, one more befitting of a ritual trance state than a night at the Five Spot.—
Levi Dayan,
Pitchfork,
11 May 2026
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Bridges contorts his body, and jacks up an errant layup, but the play isn’t done there.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screws. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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