careen

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verb

Definition of CAREEN

1

to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions <the sled careened as it barreled down the hill>

Synonyms careen, lurch, pitch, roll, seesaw, sway, toss, wobble (also wabble)

Related Words blunder, buck, dodder, falter, flounder, halt, hitch, hobble, jerk, jolt, reel, shake, stagger, stumble, teeter, toddle, totter, tumble, vacillate, vibrate, waddle, waver, weave; oscillate, undulate, wag, waggle

2

to move forward while swaying from side to side <he careened unsteadily to the couch after hitting his head>

Synonyms careen, dodder, lurch, reel, teeter, totter, waddle

Related Words rock, roll, seesaw, swag, sway, waver, weave, wobble (also wabble); barge, blunder, clomp, clump, flounder, galumph, lumber, lump, pound, scuff, scuffle, shamble, shuffle, stamp, stomp, stumble, tramp, tromp

3

to proceed or move quickly <sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection>

Synonyms barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb [slang], bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom

Related Words beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle; stampede, streak, whiz (or whizz); gallop, jog, sprint; accelerate, quicken, step out; catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake; arrow, beeline

Near Antonyms dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry; amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up)

Antonyms crawl, creep, poke