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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of screwup
Steph Yang, The Athletic, 25 July 2024
And considering the premature appearance on the website (and now these images), that might happen sooner than later as Sonos looks to get back on track after a colossal screwup.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 17 Sep. 2024
Christopher Elliot, Mercury News, 7 May 2025
The best CEOs are those who have the courage to screw up more often than others.
—Doug Sundheim, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Noun
No room for screwups, especially while the team was fighting for equal pay and better treatment from U.S. Soccer.
—Steph Yang, The Athletic, 25 July 2024
And considering the premature appearance on the website (and now these images), that might happen sooner than later as Sonos looks to get back on track after a colossal screwup.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 17 Sep. 2024
Verb
So someone — either the hotel or Hotels.com — really screwed up here.
—Christopher Elliot, Mercury News, 7 May 2025
The best CEOs are those who have the courage to screw up more often than others.
—Doug Sundheim, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwup
Noun
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Playing in the first group, Wong birdied the second hole and made up for his lone mistake (a bogey on No. 3) with birdies at seven and 11 to maintain a slim lead.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
-
Maybe teams won’t make the mistake the Avalanche did and move Rantanen too soon.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The restaurant was founded in 1999 after Billy D’Elia and his family relocated to South Carolina from Brooklyn and discovered a limited number of quality butcher shops in the area.—
Jenna Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
23 May 2025
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Former butcher Philippe Schneider, 69, allegedly confessed to killing Georges Meichler, 60, who lived as a recluse in the village of Brasc, France in February 2023, per The Telegraph.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Massey ranged to his left, lost his footing and fumbled the ball.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
20 May 2025
-
Gutierrez found the jury was confused by antitrust law elements and fumbled a calculation for damages by mistaking an overcharge with a discount.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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That’s just the beginning, though—keep scrolling for more deals sure to blow you away (no pun intended).—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2025
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Julia snuck some matchstick carrots into the potato mixture, then blew my socks off with a punchy, springy topping of feta, mint, dill, and chives.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Viewers speculated whether this was a blunder, power play or something else.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
27 May 2025
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Many of the nation’s biggest military blunders occurred because there wasn’t enough diversity in the armed forces.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Verb
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No one stumbled into creating a billion dollar company, gingerly broke a world record, or cautiously planned and lived their peak life.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
-
Per a fan video, at one point during the show, after spinning his microphone and tossing it towards the audience, Joel appeared to stumble, falling backwards and landing on his side.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
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But that stumble constitutes Hwang’s only confrontation with the hypocrisy that ruins Yellow Face and its inherent PBS conceit.—
Armond White,
National Review,
21 May 2025
Noun
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Only one major-league third baseman, the San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado, has more errors than Muncy’s eight through his first 49 games of the season.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
27 May 2025
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The poll of 1,136 Democrats carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.89 percentage points.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screwup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwup. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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