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to screw

to screw

48 1.2
To fasten something by turning it into wood or metal
  • verb
  • /skruː/
: atornillar
  • I need to screw this piece into the wall to secure the shelf.

OK, so, so they screw it and glue it down.

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Examples

  • And then I welded on these mounting ears to help screw this piece of acrylic down.

  • OK, so they screw in like little bottle tops.

  • There we go, and then I can screw the second arm in.

  • We're going to actually screw that in first.

  • Push these all back in, screw it back on.

  • Oh, and then I can screw it in here.

  • So if you look there, it's going to screw in to there.

  • Whereas this you screw it onto a surface.

  • So this means I will have to screw a thin slice of board later on.

  • James closed the ledger and screwed on the top of the Waterman pen.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

to twist
vsto screw
295 1.7

To turn something so it becomes a curved or spiral shape

leans toward fastening or inserting rather than mere shaping by turning
to torque
vsto screw
  • Specialized
7 6.7

Turn something by using a twisting force, for example with a wrench to tighten a bolt

focuses on the fastening or inserting action rather than force alone
to drive in
vsto screw
5 4.0

To push a nail, screw, or bolt into a surface using a tool

centres on fastening by turning rather than simply forcing into a surface
to screw into
vsto screw
4 2.8

Attach something to a wall or wood by turning a metal piece into it

is more general, meaning any fastening or turning motion not only that method

Antonyms

∞ 1.5

To move something or someone away from a place

185 1.0

Make something less tight so it can move or open

20 3.0

Turn something so a lid or other fastened part comes off

Idioms

screw this
  • Offensive
32 9.8

An angry short phrase you say when you give up or stop doing something

to screw the pooch
  • Offensive
10 9.9

Make a very bad mistake because you are not careful

An event that makes a tense or difficult situation worse

Phrasal Verbs

to screw up
  • Informal
850 6.3

To make a mistake that ruins what you are doing

to screw off
  • Offensive
6 9.5

To tell someone rudely to go away or to stop working and relax

5 5.0

To make your face show a strong feeling like pain or dislike

Attach something to a wall or wood by turning a metal piece into it

To put more pressure on someone so they do what you want

Compounds

screw-up
  • Informal
34 6.1

A careless mistake that causes problems or embarrassment

screw-up
  • Offensive
19 7.0

A person who often makes mistakes in important situations

screw-loose
  • Offensive
11 9.0

Behaving in a strange or not sensible way

1 2.8

A small metal piece with a spiral thread that you turn to hold things together

screw thread
  • Specialized
1 5.0

A raised spiral on a screw or bolt makes it hold things when you turn it

machine screw
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A metal screw with the same width along its length used with a nut or in a threaded hole

Phillips screw
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A screw with a cross-shaped slot in its head that you turn with a matching screwdriver

screw eye
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A short metal rod with a round loop at one end for hanging things

screw key
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A small tool that fits into a screw head to turn it

screw press
  • Specialized
1 6.4

A machine that uses a long turned metal rod to squeeze liquid from solid things

screw propeller
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A device with angled blades that turns to push a boat or plane forward

1 6.8

A large strong screw with a square or six-sided head driven with a wrench into wood to hold heavy things

1 3.8

A tool with one movable jaw that you move by turning a screw to hold nuts or bolts

screw jack
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A tool that lifts heavy things by turning a screw, often used to raise a car

1 4.9

A tool for pulling a cork out of a bottle

cap screw
  • Specialized
1 6.6

A screw with a finished head that you screw into a threaded hole to hold machine parts together

Allen screw
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A screw with a six-sided hole in the head that you turn with a hex key

wing screw
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A small metal part with flat side pieces you can turn by hand to hold things together

screw bean
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A dry-land shrub or small tree with spiral seed pods from the US Southwest and Mexico

screw auger
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A hand tool with a spiral metal blade that makes holes in wood

1 9.3

A tropical tree with strong roots that grow above the ground, long narrow leaves, and conelike edible fruit

1 9.9

A tropical tree or shrub with seed pods twisted like a spiral

A small shrub with hairy leaves and bright orange-red flowers

screw log
  • Archaic
9.9

A long round object with rotating fins that measures how fast a ship moves in water

screw augur
  • Specialized
9.9

A kind of orchid that has tall stems and a spiral of small white, sweet-smelling flowers

screw bean
  • Specialized
9.9

A sweet spiral seed pod from a dry-land tree that animals eat or people grind into meal

screw-pine family
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of woody plants including Pandanus and similar species with long fibrous leaves

textile screw pine
  • Australian
9.9

A tropical plant with long strong leaves people use to weave mats and hats

How Tight

to secure
105 3.3
to tighten
157 1.5
to screw
48 1.2
to twist
295 1.7

Surface Forms

screw infinitive
screwed past
screwed past participle
screwing present participle
screws third person singular

Etymology

The verb screw meaning 'to fasten by turning' comes from the same root as the metal fastener and originally meant 'to turn' or 'twist', so to screw a lid on is to turn a spiral into place.