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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in butcher
someone who bungles an effort
don't ask the office screwup to arrange the holiday party
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
we all screw up from time to time, so don't sweat it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of screwup
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
Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 19 Dec. 2024
Of course, if CDPR screws up again gamers might not be so lenient.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for 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
So messy was his operation that even the NCAA’s oafs couldn’t screw up that investigation.
—Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 19 Dec. 2024
Of course, if CDPR screws up again gamers might not be so lenient.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for screwup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwup
Noun
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Expert instructors will teach you how to get started, practical uses, tips for effective prompt-writing, and mistakes to avoid.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2025
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Don’t act too quickly though, because using your oven’s self-cleaning function could be a huge mistake.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And no one does Cajun quite like Cochon Butcher in New Orleans, the butcher shop/restaurant from renowned chef Donald Link.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
27 Jan. 2025
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Son of a carpenter and a butcher’s helper, Mr. Herrmann spent his childhood in Braunschweig in the shadow of the iconic carmaker’s factories – emblems of Germany’s postwar Wirtschaftswunder, or economic miracle.—
Lenora Chu,
The Christian Science Monitor,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Snoop Dogg couldn't fumble the opportunity to roast the nearly 50-year age gap between football coach Bill Belichick and his girlfriend at the NFL Honors.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
7 Feb. 2025
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The seventh season will no doubt spotlight Leclerc’s win in his native Monaco, Norris fumbling his first WDC and Carlos Sainz’s search for an F1 seat after Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Spartans jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, but blew the game open in the second behind Blair’s playmaking.—
Nathan Canilao,
The Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2025
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Finer orders pizza, Kate G. puts on music, Paige (receptionist) throws open windows to let crazy pre-rain breeze blow through.—
George Saunders,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Just like when Trump recently helped legitimize Maduro by sending White House special envoy Richard Grenell to meet with the Venezuelan dictator and pose in smiling pictures with him, Trump’s de facto abandonment of pro-democracy groups in the hemisphere is a major blunder.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2025
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Foreign policy is hard, but this is just a very big early blunder.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Liv hesitates, does awkward stumble toward her, drops head onto Sally’s shoulder.—
George Saunders,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2025
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But after entering the All-Star break holding a Wild Card, Boston stumbled almost immediately in the second half.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Ancient people weren't about to let these pests ruin their crops or their lives.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
14 Feb. 2025
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The film ends with Ross going full Red Hulk in the White House Rose Garden (oops), nearly ruining his legacy (Sterns’ real prize) and ultimately forcing him to admit his wrongdoing, give up his office, and head to The Raft to serve an undetermined amount of time in the floating prison.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The intended answer, 88 ounces, indicated that a programming or grading error had been made after the child had handed the paper over.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
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Maybe there are good reasons why Matty’s making so many unforced errors.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near screwup
Cite this Entry
“Screwup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwup. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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