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
But the screwups don’t end there. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025 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
Verb
So not screwing up Spider-Man is about putting a beating heart at the center rather than a bunch of spectacle. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026 The fear of failure can do as much harm as actually screwing up. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 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
  • The mistakes that sink applications Loan files in this category rarely die because the borrower earns too little.
    — Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Innovation Is Not One Game Organizations also make the mistake of treating innovation as a single activity.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistake
Noun
  • Durant's Steakhouse At Durant’s Steakhouse in Phoenix, the Chef’s Cut Hanging Bacon at Durant’s begins with premium, generously thick cut Colorado Farms bacon, hand cut each day by master butchers.
    — Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • It was constructed in 1897 as part of the area’s military campus, and over time was used as an army depot, a butcher shop, an animal-feed store and a mailroom.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of butcher
Verb
  • On his second drive, Tagovailoa fumbled the snap from center and the Dolphins recovered.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Centennial fumbled on its first possession to set up Petero’s two-yard touchdown run.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • It’s been a decade since the company best known for sucking up hair balls and dust bunnies blew with great force into the beauty business.
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Las Vegas spectacle, which opened to the public in August 2025, already blows audiences around with tornado-force wind, shakes them with haptic seats, sends giant winged monkeys flying overhead and drops hundreds of foam apples from the ceiling.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Boutique seasonal brand, made it to market, suggesting the blunder might be related to a need for more executives and other workers connected with and sensitive to needs and concerns of Black consumers.
    — Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026
  • From a 2026 lens, extending Braun while kicking Watson’s can down the road looks like an epic blunder that could cost the Nuggets another title in the Joker’s prime.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 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
  • Most critics of judicial supremacy stumble over the fact that a strong Court sometimes benefits their side.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Analysis from Zeki Data shows that where OpenAI and Anthropic are making gains in the AI talent market, Google DeepMind (and to some extent Meta) are stumbling.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • But if clouds ruin your view — or the moon is below the horizon at the time of the eclipse — there's no need to fret!
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The news of the relationship almost ruined the church, which quickly began hemorrhaging members.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of ruin

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Cite this Entry

“Screwup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwup. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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