screw up

VERB

make a mess of

Synonyms

STRONGEST

botch bungle confuse flub muddle spoil

WEAK

blow bobble bollix foul up goof goof up louse make hash of mess mess up mishandle mismanage muck up muff snafu

Antonyms

STRONGEST

clear up do well enlighten explain order organize succeed

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.

Not only does it screw up seasonal adjustments, but many laid-off workers tend to wait until after the holiday to apply for benefits.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

“I really don’t want to screw up the lineup,” Woods added.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Logs can smoosh as they chill; imprecise slices screw up bake times.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh insists Rangers did not "screw up" the process to appoint head coach Danny Rohl but admits it looked "clunky" from the outside.

From BBC • Oct. 22, 2025

I had to screw up my face to make the point.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

screw up

Example Sentences

Related Words