screw up
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++screw up → screw up at screw2(3)
screw up
screw up phrasal verb (see also screw)
1. informal to make a bad mistake or do something very stupid
SYN mess up:
You’d better not screw up this time.
2. screw something ↔ up informal to spoil something by doing something stupid
SYN mess something up:
She realized that she had screwed up her life.
3. screw up your eyes/face to move the muscles in your face in a way that makes your eyes seem narrow:
He screwed up his eyes against the bright light.
Her face was screwed up with pain.
4. screw somebody ↔ up informal to make someone feel very unhappy, confused, or upset so that they have emotional problems for a long time
SYN mess somebody up:
It really screwed her up when her mother died. ⇨ screwed up
5. screw up the/enough courage to do something (also screw up your courage to do something) to be brave enough to do something you are very nervous about:
I finally screwed up enough courage to talk to her.
screw up phrasal verb (see also screw)
1. informal to make a bad mistake or do something very stupid
SYN mess up:
2. screw something ↔ up informal to spoil something by doing something stupid
SYN mess something up:
3. screw up your eyes/face to move the muscles in your face in a way that makes your eyes seem narrow:
4. screw somebody ↔ up informal to make someone feel very unhappy, confused, or upset so that they have emotional problems for a long time
SYN mess somebody up:
5. screw up the/enough courage to do something (also screw up your courage to do something) to be brave enough to do something you are very nervous about: