Pronunciation: /skruː ʌp/

Definitions of screw up

noun a mistake or error

Example Sentences

A1 I made a screw up in my homework and got a bad grade.

A2 She had a screw up at work and accidentally deleted an important file.

B1 The team's screw up cost them the game.

B2 The company's screw up in the marketing campaign led to a decrease in sales.

C1 The politician's screw up during the debate was widely criticized by the media.

C2 The CEO's screw up in handling the scandal resulted in the company's downfall.

verb to make a mistake or mess up

Example Sentences

A1 I accidentally screwed up my homework by spilling water on it.

A2 She screwed up the recipe by adding too much salt.

B1 He really screwed up the presentation by forgetting his notes.

B2 The team screwed up the project by missing an important deadline.

C1 The company screwed up the merger by not conducting enough research beforehand.

C2 The director screwed up the film by casting the wrong lead actor.

adverb in a manner that results in a mistake or error

Example Sentences

A1 I screw up sometimes when I try to cook new recipes.

A2 Don't worry if you screw up during the presentation, just keep going.

B1 I hope I don't screw up my job interview tomorrow.

B2 She always seems to screw up her relationships by being too controlling.

C1 The CEO's decision to cut costs ended up screwing up the company's reputation.

C2 Despite his best efforts, he managed to screw up the negotiations with the client.

Examples of screw up in a Sentence

formal It is important to double check your work to avoid any potential screw up.

informal I really hope I don't screw up this presentation tomorrow.

slang I always manage to screw up when I'm under pressure.

figurative Life is like a puzzle, one wrong move can really screw up everything.

Grammatical Forms of screw up

past tense

screwed up

plural

screw ups

comparative

more screwed up

superlative

most screwed up

present tense

screw up

future tense

will screw up

perfect tense

have screwed up

continuous tense

is screwing up

singular

screw up

positive degree

screw up

infinitive

to screw up

gerund

screwing up

participle

screwed up

Origin and Evolution of screw up

First Known Use: 1900 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The term 'screw up' is believed to have originated from the mechanical sense of the word 'screw' which means to twist or turn tightly. The addition of 'up' likely emphasizes the idea of twisting something into a mess or error.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in a literal sense to describe a mechanical error or mishap, 'screw up' has evolved to also describe making a mistake or causing a mess in various contexts. It has become a common slang term in informal language to express messing up or making an error.