screw up

British  

verb

1. to twist out of shape or distort

2. to summon up or call upon

   to screw up one's courage

3. informal (also intr) to mishandle or make a mess (of)

4. informal (often passive) to cause to become very anxious, confused, or nervous

   he is really screwed up about his exams

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noun

1. slang something mishandled or done badly

screw up Idioms  

1. Muster or summon up; see pluck up one's courage .

2. 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]

3. Injure, damage, as in I screwed up my back lifting all those heavy books . [ Slang ]

4. Make neurotic or anxious, as in Her family really screwed her up, but her therapist has helped her a lot . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

Trees have less dramatic ways to screw up your day: Their roots can infiltrate cracks in septic or sewage pipes, blocking the system and wreaking expensive, smelly havoc.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 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

Forget throwing soup on the “Mona Lisa” — the Bezos wedding protesters might do something truly offensive: They are threatening to screw up traffic on the big day.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2025

Once the whistle blew, she allowed her players to be themselves: to screw up, to take chances.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

Related Words

• botch
• bungle
• confuse
• flub
• muddle
• spoil