1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
clearly, there's been some sort of screwup about what time we were supposed to meet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in butcher
someone who bungles an effort
don't ask the office screwup to arrange the holiday party
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
we all screw up from time to time, so don't sweat it
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to blow
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
you've totally screwed up the spreadsheet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of screwup
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025
Travis is a well-meaning screwup who comes from a family of cops but can’t get a place on the police force.
—Robert Lloyd, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
Having obvious trouble is Lesley, who put a layer of shortbread under her flapjack, which screwed up the cooking time, which screwed up the decorating time, which left Lesley, well, screwed.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Noun
In a precedent for a larger screwup later, Jess gets a mini-earful from Kerry for taking too long to update him on the chains during the anchoring process.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025
Travis is a well-meaning screwup who comes from a family of cops but can’t get a place on the police force.
—Robert Lloyd, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
The steaks have all been beautifully marbled, which makes cooking them pretty hard to screw up.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
Having obvious trouble is Lesley, who put a layer of shortbread under her flapjack, which screwed up the cooking time, which screwed up the decorating time, which left Lesley, well, screwed.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwup
Noun
-
Let the rookie learn on the fly, make mistakes, and grow.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Get your fruit trees off to a strong start by avoiding these common planting mistakes.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Marrow in Market will produce various raw meat cuts from its full-service butcher shop and specialty items.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Burnsie's orders its meat from local butchers Rupena's Fine Foods and Roberts' Specialty Meats.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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He was sacked seven times and fumbled twice with both loose balls being recovered by the Bills’ defense.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025
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But that same quarter, Kansas fumbled on a punt that K-State turned into a touchdown.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The crowd at the Rogers Centre nearly blew the roof off the place as Bichette jogged around the bases.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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That team pulled off this same trick, blowing the doors off all comers until slipping past USC.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Potential adversaries interpret political action in zero-sum terms; see malice and evil design in mere blunders and coincidence; trumpet necessity rather than navigate choice; and, in extreme cases, invent pretext or promise profit to make more palatable a dubious cause.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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In the aftermath of the expensive blunder, Schwarzman was quickly pulled aside by an investor.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Soon after Columbus stumbled across the Americas (in 1492), Cortés toppled the Aztec Empire (in 1521), and Pizarro did the same with the Inca one (in 1533).—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Oct. 2025
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But Zoë’s first adaptation stumbles out of the gate — in large part because this show isn’t really her show.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Daniella Segura,
Miami Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Chiefs have seen some of league’s premier running backs — such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs — and have met each challenge, preventing those elite players from ruining the defensive game plan.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The defence remains porous, error-prone and vulnerable on corners.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Times’ error immediately garnered write-ups in The Washington Post, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and other outlets.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screwup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwup. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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