screwup 1 of 2

noun

ˈskrü-ˌəp How to pronounce screwup (audio)
Definition of screwupnext
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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2
as in butcher
someone who bungles an effort don't ask the office screwup to arrange the holiday party

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screw up

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to fumble
to make a mistake we all screw up from time to time, so don't sweat it

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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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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 screwup
Noun
Vince is the screwup, a mostly-former drug and gambling addict, while Jake is a successful restaurateur, running the eponymous club/restaurant Black Rabbit in Manhattan. — Andrew Bernard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025 In this political moment, when seemingly every screwup or shortcoming can be spun into evidence of sincerity—of a real and flawed and accessible humanity—perhaps Platner is on to something. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
Verb
The Sens are going to lose their pick for nothing at all, because of how a GM their fans didn’t like screwed up a trade his team wasn’t even involved in. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026 One of the puzzles was constructing a dance that was simple enough to believe anyone could do it, yet tricky enough for DJ to screw up in multiple ways. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for screwup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwup
  1. mistake
  2. butcher
  3. fumble
  4. blow
  5. blunder
  6. incompetent
  7. stumble
  8. ruin
Noun
  • Despite the full lineup and passionate patriotic crowd in Seattle, Team USA looked uncomfortable from the start, fell behind early, made sloppy mistakes and could not keep up with the Belgians, who move on to face Spain in the quarterfinals.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • The scribe carefully inscribed each line with a quill made from a goose feather, while their other hand wielded an erasing knife used to sharpen the quill and scrape away any mistakes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Definition of mistake
Noun
  • That’s when Champion made thick cotton tops with hoods to help keep butchers warm in meat lockers and construction crews insulated during periods of cold outdoor labor.
    — Faran Krentcil, InStyle, 1 July 2026
  • The back room of Flod’s studio is like a butcher’s walk-in fridge, where dozens more masks hang from the ceiling, each more outlandish than the last.
    — Ryan Steven Green, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of butcher
Verb
  • But in her concentration, Porsha fumbled her words, which made the Faithfuls, who were desperate for a crumb of evidence so early in the game, suspicious of her sincerity.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
  • With Yerry De los Santos also fumbling a bunt in the eighth, the Yanks tallied a season-high four errors on the night.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • One interception attempt resulted in a large explosion that spectacularly blew the roof off a fuel tank.
    — Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • After the final whistle blew and this Norway team had made history, Haaland took a moment and looked into the Norwegian cheering section, trying to process what had just happened.
    — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 July 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Sometimes this was committed to good, such as the Marshall Plan and the Peace Corps, and sometimes to ill, as in a series of military blunders meant to quash godless Communism.
    — Jim Rasenberger, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also fallen foul of Germany’s World Cup elimination by Paraguay, after stumbling into a social media debacle following a communications blunder.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of blunder
Noun
  • The Dodgers reached the pinnacle honestly, in a capitalistic structure that properly hands no favors to the incompetent.
    — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Jan. 2026
Definition of incompetent
Verb
  • After a chance meeting saving the life of a reporter, Dez stumbles across a vast conspiracy and now must stop the forces intent on keeping their secrets safe.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 6 July 2026
  • The hole was discovered in early April when a volunteer on a weekend cemetery clean-up day stumbled upon it.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • After all, plenty of cocktail enthusiasts already complain about mosquitoes ruining a summer evening.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of ruin

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

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

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