screw

verb

Definition of screwnext
1
as in to distort
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 to squeeze
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

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 screw Attracted to the smell, the flies will lay eggs in open wounds on warm-blooded animals, and within hours the eggs hatch as the worms burrow in a screw-like pattern into the flesh to feed, according to the advisory. — Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 Either Cody or Gunther wins because Sami gets screwed; Zayn will then further descend into madness and attack someone after the bell. — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Securing a current-generation Dyson stick vacuum bundled with two motorized cleaning heads and a specialized pet hair screw tool below the $300 line is an incredible find. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 June 2026 With Dumb Money, also directed by Gillespie, Rogen played businessman Gabe Plotkin, who got screwed in the GameStop stock drama. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for screw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screw
  1. distort
  2. squeeze
  3. deform
  4. cheat
  5. contort
  6. pluck
  7. curl
  8. stick
Verb
  • Slow-motion replays and still images distort the offending player’s actions, with innocuous tackles looking more serious.
    — Tom Bogert, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Any whack job with a phone can distort reality, and that’s not helpful.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
Definition of distort
Verb
  • As artificial intelligence transforms the job market and rising living costs squeeze family budgets, the University of California system is making the case that its degrees remain valuable investments.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • Breweries may not have the budget or staff to create art and with rising costs squeezing small businesses, many breweries started to feature obvious generative AI art prominently as a way to talk about events or create content.
    — Em Sauter, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • When oil wells are shut in, the pressure underground can become imbalanced, deforming the underlying structure.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
  • Some cells were mechanically deformed to simulate incidents such as minor parking impacts.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026
Definition of deform
Verb
  • The American grandmaster shed some light on his mindset following Kramnik’s cheating accusations in a livestream prior to his death, according to the Associated Press.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
  • Trump has also continued to claim Democrats are trying to rig or cheat in the upcoming election, remarks that have faced rebukes from members of his own party.
    — Ana Ceballos Follow, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of cheat
Verb
  • Somehow, the 22-year-old was able to contort himself into an uncomfortable TT position to complete the course — and not only that, help Netcompany-Ineos to an impressive second place.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • The way Adult Swim’s slate of low-fi, off-kilter programming managed to interrupt the monotony of 2000s cable TV, Friedland’s show follows a familiar format while subtly contorting it.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026
Definition of contort
Verb
  • Patina Osaka’s ground-floor restaurant, P72, focuses on seasonal produce sourced nearby and plucked daily from the hotel’s urban garden.
    — Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
  • Eyebrows were being plucked into oblivion, bronzer was used in excess, and hair was parted deeply to one side.
    — Lauren Alberti, Allure, 6 July 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Trying to catch Cape Verde off guard, Messi curled a left-footed shot toward the upper right corner of the net.
    — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 4 July 2026
  • Another great attempt by Cabral, another curling effort on a free kick, forced a remarkable save from Martínez to keep holding on to the one-goal lead.
    — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of curl
Verb
  • Their families clung to the shade of the trees on either side, where one woman had two American flags stuck through her ponytail.
    — Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • That level of output convinced Vogt to stick him in the leadoff spot a little more than three weeks into his career and not look back.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of stick

Phrases Containing screw

Browse Nearby Words

screenwriters
screw
screw around
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Cite this Entry

“Screw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screw. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on screw

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about screw

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