What is another word for screw up?

Need synonyms for screw up? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Contexts ▼

Verb

To make a mess of

To muster or pluck up

Ruin or foil

To gather into wrinkles

To destroy or disrupt by means of sabotage

To frustrate or prevent (someone) from achieving an aim

To make something more complex

To fail, especially in spectacular fashion

To press or crush noisily or be pressed or crushed noisily

To draw or make tight or taut

To frown or show displeasure facially

To distort or be distorted

To make fast or more secure

To fill with alarm or depression

A mistake arising from or resulting in confusion

Someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence

Bad idea

A mistake or problem

The act of disorganizing

An embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation

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Verb

To make a mess of

make a dog's dinner of

put a spanner in the works

bark up the wrong tree

snarl up

blot your copybook

get the wrong end of the stick

bring a note of sadness to

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Verb

▲

To muster or pluck up

Verb

Ruin or foil

neutralise^UK

neutralize^US

make of no use or value

throw a monkey wrench in the works of

throw a spanner in the works

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Verb

▲

To gather into wrinkles

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Verb

▲

To destroy or disrupt by means of sabotage

neutralize^US

vaporize^US

pulverize^US

neutralise^UK

pulverise^UK

vaporise^UK

rain on someone's parade

throw a monkey wrench in the works of

throw a spanner in the works

weaken

destabilize^US

jeopardize^US

jeopardise^UK

destabilise^UK

put out of commission

throw a monkey wrench into

put out of action

vandalize^US

vandalise^UK

be a blot on the landscape

dishonour^UK

dishonor^US

treat with disrespect

commit sacrilege against

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Verb

▲

To frustrate or prevent (someone) from achieving an aim

balk^US

baulk^UK

neutralise^UK

neutralize^US

put a spoke in someone's wheel

throw a spanner in the works

throw monkey wrench in

throw a monkey wrench in the works

take wind out of sails

throw a monkey wrench in the works of

cramp someone's style

bring to screeching halt

gum up

hold over

bring to a standstill

put at a disadvantage

place at a disadvantage

queer someone's pitch

beat someone to the draw

put on the back burner

beat someone to the punch

prevent from making progress

ostracize^US

put out of commission

make it impossible for

make it impracticable for

throw a spoke in the wheel of

temporise^UK

temporize^US

ostracise^UK

not allow to go beyond

keep within the limits of

throw a monkey wrench into

gaol^UK

jail^US

immobilize^US

act like a wet blanket

give a disadvantage to

be unfair to

put in an unfavourable position

treat unfavourably

tell against

inflict a handicap on

immobilise^UK

monopolize^US

monopolise^UK

bring someone to their knees

take the wind out of your sails

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Verb

▲

To make something more complex

render unintelligible

color^US

colour^UK

throw up smoke screen

baulk^UK

balk^US

cause to be at a stand

be all Greek to

make someone scratch their head

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Verb

▲

To fail, especially in spectacular fashion

plow^US

plough^UK

not come up to scratch

not come up to the mark

go down like a lead balloon

come apart at the seams

fall short of expectations

fall down

not make the grade at

not come up to scratch in

be unsuccessful in

not come up to the mark in

fall flat on your face

blow up in someone's face

go over like a lead balloon

not come up to expectations

end in disappointment

have an adverse effect

spring back

have unwelcome repercussions for

cause one to be hoist with one's own petard

drop a bundle

submit

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Verb

▲

To press or crush noisily or be pressed or crushed noisily

Verb

To draw or make tight or taut

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Verb

▲

To frown or show displeasure facially

Verb

▲

To distort or be distorted

Verb

To make fast or more secure

Verb

To fill with alarm or depression

appal^UK

demoralise^UK

demoralize^US

paralyse^UK

appall^US

paralyze^US

terrorise^UK

terrorize^US

fill with consternation

stop someone in their tracks

knock the stuffing out of

set someone thinking

leave aghast

cause to be at a stand

make someone scratch their head

put someone off their stroke

scandalize^US

take the wind out of your sails

anger

agonize^US

scandalise^UK

agonise^UK

give someone the blues

scare the bejesus out of

scare the living daylights out of

make sad

undermine

set someone back on their heels

make one's hair stand on end

make someone's hair stand on end

traumatize^US

traumatise^UK

give someone goose pimples

scare someone out of their wits

put the fear of God into

electrify

give a hard time

throw into a blue funk

dampen spirits

make unhappy

make miserable

make one's blood run cold

tantalize^US

tantalise^UK

shatter

dampen the spirits of

put out of countenance

cause anguish to

frighten to death

give someone the heebie-jeebies

pull the rug from under

benumb

pull the rug out from under

put someone off their stride

knock for a loop

make wretched

hurt somebody's feelings

take your breath away

make someone jump out of their skin

frighten someone out of their wits

send into a cold sweat

make someone's blood run cold

make someone shake in their shoes

frighten the life out of

scare the life out of

scare the hell out of

frighten the living daylights out of

make one's flesh creep

give one the creeps

turn off

bring tears to your eyes

mess with someone's head

make one's heart bleed

destabilize^US

destabilise^UK

cause someone to lose their composure

besiege

antagonize^US

blind someone with something

hinder

paralyse with fear

scare the daylights out of

mess with one's head

put off one's stroke

tease

undermine one's confidence

balk^US

antagonise^UK

baulk^UK

frighten out of your wits

scare the pants off of

knock the wind out of

injure

desiccate

completely surprise

raise someone's eyebrows

shake out of your complacency

hit like ton of bricks

sap the confidence of

give someone the hump

dash the hopes of

weigh heavily on one's mind

shatter the illusions of

chill someone's blood

make fearful

give someone a fright

make someone's hair curl

tyrannize^US

harsh someone's mellow

make someone's heart bleed

keep under

make desolate

hang over

break someone's spirit

break someone's heart

tyrannise^UK

make a big thing out of

dampen someone's hopes

make a meal of

make a mountain out of a molehill

let wind out of sails

puncture balloon

take down

kick in the teeth

take down a peg or two

scare someone half to death

put one away

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Noun

▲

A mistake arising from or resulting in confusion

offense^US

offence^UK

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Noun

▲

Someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence

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Noun

▲

Bad idea

Noun

A mistake or problem

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Noun

▲

The act of disorganizing

furore^UK

troublesome situation

furor^US

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Noun

▲

An embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation

offense^US

offence^UK

misbehavior^US

misdemeanor^US

putting foot in mouth

inappropriate behaviour

misreading of the situation

more ❯

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What is another word for screw up?

Need synonyms for screw up? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

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