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screws up

verb

present tense third-person singular of screw up
1
as in fumbles
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 blows
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of screws up But what really screws up Julia are the deliveries. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026 Kyle tries to jump up the wall, lands awkwardly, and screws up his ankle. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026 Ego screws up most of the things in this life. — Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screws up
  1. fumbles
  2. blows
  3. stumbles
  4. murders
  5. trips
  6. boots
  7. slips up
  8. dubs
Verb
  • DeLand was driving inside the 20 yard line and Taihj Moore fumbles, recovered by Lake Mary.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Buford scored 17 points off three Gainesville fumbles on punt plays.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumbles
Verb
  • Policymakers' ignorance of oil market mechanics becomes clear only when geopolitics enters the picture and blows it all to hell, either figuratively or literally.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The exhaust port blows to the rear to allow for quick cleaning of leaves and grass clippings.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • Reacher stumbles out into the street and collapses, sheets of rain washing the blood from his mighty frame.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Liberty stumbles down after escaping 24-23 against a winless FCS Gardner-Webb team that has an interim head coach.
    — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumbles
Verb
  • By definition, a serial killer is someone who murders two or more people during separate events, with gaps of time in between.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • To get even with Kanan, Juke murders Raq, her surrogate mother.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of murders
Verb
  • And as the cops try to arrest them, only to realize their own jails aren’t accessible, the film expresses perfectly how the government trips over its own feet while resisting inevitable change.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Wheeler trips more often now and no longer rides his scooter around the cul de sac because of his deteriorating vision and poor coordination.
    — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of trips
Verb
  • Olise always takes it and boots the ball straight out of play.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Dominic Zvada boots a 31-yard field goal to give the Wolverines the lead.
    — Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 31 Dec. 2025
Definition of boots
Verb
  • At Baku, however, the car looks to be a podium contender, potentially fighting for the win if McLaren slips up.
    — Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Along the way Texas needs to hope Seattle slips up, or else that final weekend in Cleveland could wind up being meaningless.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Definition of slips up
Verb
  • There’s a hard deck on how low my esteem for a guy who dubs Reacher HoboCop can go.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Southern regional language dubs in Telugu and Tamil added further momentum across key circuits.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of dubs

Browse Nearby Words

screws around
screws up
screwup
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Screws up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screws%20up. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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