screw up
Britishverb
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to twist out of shape or distort
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to summon up or call upon
to screw up one's courage
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informal (also intr) to mishandle or make a mess (of)
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informal (often passive) to cause to become very anxious, confused, or nervous
he is really screwed up about his exams
noun
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Muster or summon up; see pluck up one's courage .
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Make a mess of an undertaking; also, make a mistake, as in I really screwed up this report , or She said she was sorry, admitting that she had screwed up . Some authorities believe this usage is a euphemism for fuck up . [ Slang ; c. 1940]
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Injure, damage, as in I screwed up my back lifting all those heavy books . [ Slang ]
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Make neurotic or anxious, as in Her family really screwed her up, but her therapist has helped her a lot . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]
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
“They screwed up, basically, and when you screw up, you gotta be accountable,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 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
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
I had to screw up my face to make the point.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
