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.
As is well-known, AI can screw up even the simplest facts, or just hallucinate and invent details, so it pays to check everything.
"I was able to screw up as a teenager and not have it filmed and amplified all over the place."
From BBC
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.
Logs can smoosh as they chill; imprecise slices screw up bake times.
“I catch crocodiles, and a crocodile has never managed to screw up my ribs like that,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
