screw up

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.

"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

Logs can smoosh as they chill; imprecise slices screw up bake times.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

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

From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025

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

No one will go hungry or die or be hurt if I screw up; in fact, how would anyone ever know if I screwed up, given the customers’ constant depredations?

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich