What Does "SCREWDRIVER" Mean? The Complete Screwdriver Definition
The meaning of SCREWDRIVER is most commonly a hand tool used for turning screws. In this sense, the SCREWDRIVER definition refers to a metal shaft with a shaped tip and a handle, designed to tighten or loosen screw heads. In everyday English, this is the main answer to what does SCREWDRIVER mean when someone is talking about tools, repairs, or hardware.
SCREWDRIVER also has a second common noun meaning in English: a cocktail made with vodka and orange juice. In addition, the word can appear figuratively or in specialized contexts, but these two noun senses are by far the most familiar. The word is a compound of screw + driver, and its earliest use reflects the tool’s job of “driving” screws into place. If you are looking for the SCREWDRIVER meaning in word games, it is usually the tool sense unless the puzzle clearly signals a drink or a clue-based wordplay theme.
Screwdriver Synonyms: Words Similar to SCREWDRIVER
SCREWDRIVER synonyms include a few tool-related terms, depending on the exact context.
- Screw turner — A broad descriptive phrase for the tool, though it is less common than screwdriver.
- Driver — A shorter general term, but it can mean many kinds of turning tools, not just one for screws.
- Manual driver — Used in technical writing to distinguish the hand tool from power drivers.
- Bit driver — Refers to a tool that holds interchangeable bits, which is related but more specific.
- Power screwdriver — A powered version, not a true synonym, but useful when contrasting tool types.
- Cocktail — This matches the drink sense of screwdriver, though it is not a synonym in the tool sense.
- Tool — Very general and only works as an umbrella word, not a precise replacement.
How to Use "SCREWDRIVER" in a Sentence: Real Examples
Here are a few clear examples of SCREWDRIVER in a sentence:
- I grabbed a flathead screwdriver to tighten the loose hinge.
- The bartender mixed a screwdriver with orange juice and vodka.
- In the workshop, a screwdriver is one of the most useful tools.
- She used a screwdriver-like tool to open the battery compartment.
SCREWDRIVER in NYT Connections #1118 — Why Did It Appear?
In NYT Connections #1118 on 2026-04-11, SCREWDRIVER appeared in the Purple group, the hardest category, titled The other words were BOMBAY, CHELSEA, and SNOWFLAKE, each hiding a water-related ending inside the word. SCREWDRIVER fits because it ends in , which is a body of water. That makes the especially tricky for players who were thinking of tools or cocktails instead of word endings. This is a classic example of : the clue is not about definition, but about spelling patterns. If you were asking , the answer is “a word ending in river.”