WordLens

screw up

1 of 1verb
/ˈskru ʌp/
Forms:screws up,screwing up,screwed up,screwed up
1

to ruin a situation through mistakes or poor judgment

transitive
  • He didn't want to screw up the important presentation, so he practiced diligently.
  • She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach after realizing she had screwed up the project.
  • She screwed the job interview up by arriving late and unprepared.
  • The politician tried not to screw his speech up by rehearsing multiple times.
Synonyms:
louse upbollixbollix upfluffbumblebodgefuck upmess upmuffmuck upfoul upbotchmishandleblowball upbunglebollocksspoilbotch upfumbleflubbollocks upbobble
2

to intensify a situation or problem

transitive
  • The cold weather screwed up my arthritis.
  • Don't tell the boss - that will just screw up the situation even more.
  • Her meddling really screwed the problem up.
  • His careless comment screwed up an already tense discussion.
Synonyms:
hot upheat up
3

to twist one's face into an expression of discomfort, displeasure, or tension

transitive
  • She screwed up her face when she tasted the sour lemon.
  • The actor screwed up his face to imitate a comical expression during the performance.
  • She couldn't help but screw up her face in reaction to the strong smell of the chemicals.
  • Please don't screw up your face like that; it's just a minor inconvenience.
4

to fasten something by rotating it often in a clockwise direction

transitive
  • The plumber had to screw the faucet up tightly to prevent any water leaks.
  • The technician needed to screw the wires up to connect the electronic components.
  • She carefully screwed the antenna up onto the roof for better reception.
  • To assemble the furniture, he had to screw each piece up according to the instructions.
5

to fold something by twisting it tightly

transitive
  • He screwed up the letter and threw it in the trash in frustration.
  • She screwed the paper up into a tight ball and tossed it into the recycling bin.
  • Let's screw up the old newspaper and use it for packing delicate items.
  • He screwed up the failed painting and decided to start over.
  • In a moment of annoyance, I screwed up the sketch and had to begin from scratch.
6

to cause someone to be emotionally or mentally disturbed

transitive
  • The harsh criticism from his supervisor really screwed him up emotionally.
  • Failing the exam completely screwed her up for weeks.
  • The breakup with his long-time partner screwed him up mentally.
  • The failure of the business venture screwed them up.
  • The breakup screwed him up, making it difficult to focus on work.