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
Then there’s Uber, whose data quality controls missed an accounting screwup that cost it $45 million in back pay for drivers. — Bynick Rockel, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 Similar screwups would occur again and again over the years, with each side perennially overinterpreting the other’s behavior while explaining away its own. — Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
When politicians screw up on a public stage, those blunders can be, at best, meme-ified and, at worst, career-ending. — Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024 But Mike gets in his face to say that Brady's the one screwing up his own life. — Sara Netzley, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for screwup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwup
  1. mistake
  2. butcher
  3. fumble
  4. blow
  5. blunder
  6. stumble
  7. ruin
  8. error
Noun
  • This loss of institutional support could leave borrowers with nowhere to turn when servicers make mistakes or when questions arise about complex repayment programs.
    — Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Tip #4: Double-check your figures Making a simple math mistake or switching the last two digits of your Social Security Number can cause big problems for the IRS.
    — Brian Sloan, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of mistake
Noun
  • Alternatively, drive over the bridge for a casual lunch at Marrow, a zero-waste whole-animal butcher shop and bistro that neighbors Sister Pie.
    — Sarah Bence, AFAR Media, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Hunter, fisherman, chef and award-winning author Jesse Griffiths and Tamara Mayfield opened Dai Due restaurant and butcher shop in 2014 as an outgrowth of their popular supper club and farmers market stand, and the seasonal and local ethos of a farmers market is the anchor of this rustic beauty.
    — USA TODAY, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
Definition of butcher
Verb
  • And Volodymyr Zelenskyy also fumbled the bag pretty hard.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Arriving in England in 1929, Queenie fumbled around on the edges of the entertainment business, hoping to be an actor.
    — Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Limit hot tool use: Take a break from hot curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers.
    — Carley Millhone, Health, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Keep windows and doors closed to avoid pollen being blown into your home.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors A compilation video featuring three of Wheel of Fortune's most brutal blunders from over the years has become a cringe-watch on social media, scoring more than 4 million views — and fans have been sharing their frustrations.
    — Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
  • There’s a clear similarity here to the PUC’s original decision after a 2012 Edison blunder destroyed the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
    — Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of blunder
Verb
  • Everything will then be sold – unless he’s stumbled across a famous ball.
    — Don Riddell, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
  • The main character, a married artist in her mid-forties, sets out from her Los Angeles home, stumbles into a psychosexual dynamic with a young rental-car attendee, and decides to remodel a motel room into a love nest.
    — Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • During the 2020 election campaign, Trump said the AFFH rule would ruin the suburbs by forcing more affordable housing.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Alli Jo adds that the kids left school to appear on the date with Grant and the ladies, so Zoe ruined their day, too.
    — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of ruin
Noun
  • Unfortunately, errors happen not just to us, but to others.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2025
  • The survey polled 1,033 adults via web, phone and field interviews from Feb. 4 -12 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
    — Lia Russell, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of error

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Cite this Entry

“Screwup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwup. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

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