A stripped wood screw hole will not hold torque until you restore solid fiber around the threads. The reliable quick fix uses glue and a softwood plug or matchsticks—not a larger screw as the first move.
Why holes strip
Over-tightening, soft pine, and screws driven without a pilot hole chew out the walls. Hinges and drawer slides see this constantly.
Matchstick or dowel repair
Remove the screw. Pack the hole with wood glue and packed matchsticks or a snug softwood dowel. Cut flush, let the glue set fully, then drill a correct pilot hole and reinstall the original screw. This restores thread bite without upsizing hardware.
When to use a threaded insert
If the joint is load-bearing or will be assembled and taken apart often, a brass or steel insert gives metal threads in wood and lasts longer than a glue pack.
Avoid these shortcuts
Toothpicks alone without enough glue fail quickly. Jumping to a much larger screw can split the stile. Plastic wall anchors belong in masonry and drywall, not furniture joinery.
For more repairs like this, start in the Furniture Repair hub. If you are working through a related problem next, see Wood Veneer Repair: Professional Tips for a Seamless Finish or Wood Veneer Burnthrough Repair: Fixing Sanding Mistakes.
