screw up

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

No one can focus on how the Giants and Jets will screw up their picks in the NFL draft.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

"I was able to screw up as a teenager and not have it filmed and amplified all over the place."

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

In other words: “We screwed up, but we can screw up better.”

From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025

Or maybe our stubborn myopia is what this Superman means when he says, “I screw up all the time but that is being human.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2025

In my mind, I heard Sr. Rivera ask him about Maribel, and I saw Garrett screw up his face because he didn’t understand what Sr. Rivera was saying.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez