How to Use screwup in a Sentence
- She's a screwup who can't hold down a job.
- That was a major screwup.
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But the screwups don’t end there.
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Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
2 Dec. 2025
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Has its boss lost his job for what seems to be a massive screwup?
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Steven Levy,
WIRED,
12 Jan. 2024
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There were so many lies, gaffes and screwups that there isn’t enough room to list them.
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Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2024
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How did the chicken chain manage to stay beloved despite the order screwups?
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Danielle Wiener-Bronner,
CNN,
17 June 2023
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But a screwup on the scale of Alex Jones’ lawyers is a whole other matter.
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Wired,
5 Aug. 2022
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Another one of these screwups, and he’ll be put on probation.
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Paul Auster,
Harper's Magazine,
3 Mar. 2022
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Travis is a well-meaning screwup who comes from a family of cops but can’t get a place on the police force.
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Robert Lloyd,
Boston Herald,
7 Aug. 2025
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In a screwup, the phosphorus exploded not over the target but over the men.
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Richard Brod,
The New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2021
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The Raiders will rue the Carr screwup, and maybe complain that the refs and the league are out to get ‘em.
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Scott Ostler,
SFChronicle.com,
20 Oct. 2019
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What did the doctor say about always blaming other people for your screwups?
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Glenn Eichler,
The New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2017
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His slow horses come in every type, and they got kicked out of the service for every imaginable screwup.
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Jill Lepore,
The New Yorker,
28 Nov. 2022
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The screwup leaves two fully functioning satellites in the wrong, worthless orbit.
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Joe Pappalardo,
Popular Mechanics,
25 Oct. 2022
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Gabe is a bit of a screwup — though Diana uses more colorful language to describe him.
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Matthew J. Palm,
orlandosentinel.com,
16 Sep. 2019
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Maeve sits down with Eddie, who feels down because everyone in the family views him as a screwup.
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Joe Otterson,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2025
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Fei-hung is a fan of drunken boxing, and his father disapproves of this and other screwups, kicking his son out of the house.
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ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2025
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First of all, don’t hide misdeeds and screwups, which comes naturally by not committing misdeeds and not screwing up.
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Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
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First of all, don’t hide misdeeds and screwups, which comes naturally by not committing misdeeds and not screwing up.
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Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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But Coco is a loveable screwup who can rescue people and animals in ways only a kitty could.
—
Misha Berson,
The Seattle Times,
5 May 2017
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His constant screwups are an expression of his karma — his need to sabotage himself and everyone around him.
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Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
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What a massive screwup at the administrative level.
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Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
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There have been screwups on the field, questionable decisions from the managers, the usual foibles that have critics pointing the fingers of blame.
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Bruce Jenkins,
San Francisco Chronicle,
31 Oct. 2017
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Even the president is said to have worried about the beating the young pair, especially his beloved daughter, have taken in the press for their screwups and failures.
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The Editors Of Gq,
GQ,
22 Feb. 2018
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Eventually Nance pointed to Okoro on the bench and then Nance tapped his own chest, admitting his screwup.
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Chris Fedor,
cleveland,
17 Mar. 2021
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Then there’s Uber, whose data quality controls missed an accounting screwup that cost it $45 million in back pay for drivers.
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Bynick Rockel,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2024
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Back in Paris, Julien capitalizes on Emily’s screwup and absence to get into Pierre’s good graces.
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Jessica Goldstein,
Vulture,
22 Dec. 2021
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Risian’s coach, realizing that death was the likely outcome of this screwup, floated motionless at the surface, gazing at the safety divers, who were too stunned to blink.
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James Nestor,
Outside Online,
25 Jan. 2012
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The county question arises from yet another screwup by county government, the failure to pay more than 1,000 bills.
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cleveland,
29 Feb. 2020
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His solar sail project, named Cosmos 1, has faced months of bureaucratic hassles and technical screwups before even breaking the waves.
—
Evan Ratliff,
WIRED,
1 Dec. 2001
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How do things get so screwed up?
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Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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That might be kind of screwed up.
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Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
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Ego screws up most of the things in this life.
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Jason Mastrodonato,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
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Kid Rock‘s lip-synch was screwed up.
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Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
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The video makes clear that there are a number of ways to screw up.
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David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Nov. 2023
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Your sister could have screwed up your business for the next few years.
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Lydia Patrick,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
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What should well-off parents know about how money can screw up kids?
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David Marchese,
New York Times,
14 Nov. 2021
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Prisons are a catchall for people who are born screwed and go on to screw up.
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Eve MacSweeney,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2018
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So much effort to go through, and such a small detail to screw up in the end.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
WIRED,
18 June 2018
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But four years ago, Sorsby screwed up in a massive way.
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Trey Wallace Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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But leave it to the kiddos to screw up an otherwise sound plan.
—
Richard Rys,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2021
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For somehow managing to screw up what should be a very good thing.
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Nick Canepa Columnist,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Nov. 2020
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Tim overcame his fear of screwing up again and asked Lucy to move in.
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Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
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The whole system is screwed up, and no one has any idea how to fix it, so it’ll be done away with.
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Richard Mann,
Field & Stream,
1 Aug. 2019
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People only think about special teams when the unit screws up.
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Omar Kelly,
Sun-Sentinel.com,
4 Sep. 2017
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And barrier-breakers are sure to get knocked around and screw up.
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Washington Post,
18 Oct. 2021
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There’s nothing more fun than watching Erin screw up.
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Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
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Guys screw up in the NFL all the time — just look at the draft.
—
David Furones,
sun-sentinel.com,
3 Aug. 2019
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Kyle tries to jump up the wall, lands awkwardly, and screws up his ankle.
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Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
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How screwed up is Brigham Young football for the next three or four years?
—
Jon Wilner,
The Mercury News,
10 May 2024
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The second sure way to screw up a pitch is marketers that manage the pitch on their own.
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Avi Dan,
Forbes,
16 June 2022
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That seems like our priorities are screwed up.
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Terry Gross,
NPR,
19 Feb. 2026
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But Mike gets in his face to say that Brady's the one screwing up his own life.
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Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
19 Dec. 2024
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What all happens that screws up everything?
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Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
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How will the sports leagues screw up this Supreme Court decision?
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Sam Mellinger,
kansascity,
15 May 2018
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Managers can either screw up or screw up slightly less than the other guy.
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Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Middle school was a safe place, for the most part, for kids to screw up and learn how not to do it again the next time.
—
Washington Post,
9 May 2022
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Whiff on the sixth overall selection, and the Colts screwed up.
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Gregg Doyel,
Indianapolis Star,
17 Mar. 2018
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This version of Sakamoto winces and screws up his face just as the real one did.
—
Max Lakin,
New York Times,
25 June 2023
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The two screwed up a tilt-a-whirl spot, but Breakker made up for it with a standing moonsault.
—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'screwup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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