screwed up; screwing up; screws up
1
: to tighten, fasten, or lock by or as if by a screw
: to botch an activity or undertaking
Examples of screwup in a Sentence
Noun
That was a major screwup.
She's a screwup who can't hold down a job.
Verb
we all screw up from time to time, so don't sweat it
you've totally screwed up the spreadsheet
Recent Examples on the Web
ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025
Maeve sits down with Eddie, who feels down because everyone in the family views him as a screwup.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 6 Apr. 2025
Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2025
The Gordons have been left deeply screwed up by their deceased father — not just callous and clueless like all the ultra-rich, but unable to maintain healthy relationships with either partners or one another.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwup
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Noun
Fei-hung is a fan of drunken boxing, and his father disapproves of this and other screwups, kicking his son out of the house.
—ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025
Maeve sits down with Eddie, who feels down because everyone in the family views him as a screwup.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
Instead, this was the message sent: Booth screwed up by signing Dario Saric and gave up too many picks to shed Reggie Jackson’s contract.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2025
The Gordons have been left deeply screwed up by their deceased father — not just callous and clueless like all the ultra-rich, but unable to maintain healthy relationships with either partners or one another.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Cite this Entry
“Screwup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screwup. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
screwup
1 of 2 noun
screw·up
ˈskrü-ˌəp 
1
: one who screws up
2
screw up
2 of 2 verb1
: to tighten, fasten, or lock by or as if by a screw
2
a
b
: to cause to act in an odd or confused way
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