swerve

verb

ˈswərv 

swerved; swerving

intransitive verb

: to turn aside abruptly from a straight line or course : deviate

transitive verb

: to cause to turn aside or deviate

swerve noun

Synonyms

• veer

Choose the Right Synonym for swerve

swerve, veer, deviate, depart, digress, diverge mean to turn aside from a straight course.

swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

Examples of swerve in a Sentence

He lost control of the car and swerved toward a tree.

the car swerved sharply to avoid the squirrel in the road

Recent Examples on the Web

That witness said the driver of a gold truck going north jammed on his or her brakes as Lacy’s Charger approached, causing a female driver in a Kia Cadenza behind the gold truck to swerve into the southbound lane to avoid the truck. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025

The police stated that Lacy’s actions caused the driver coming from the other direction to swerve over the centerline to avoid impact with the Charger. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025

What might look like a few grainy pixels to Waymo’s cameras one moment could be roadkill to swerve around the very next. —Saahil Desai, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025

My side took most of the impact as Mike tried to swerve to miss the other driver. —Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English sweorfan to wipe, file away; akin to Old High German swerban to wipe off, Welsh chwerfu to whirl

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for swerve

• curve
• mirv
• nerve
• serve
• verve
• conserve
• deserve
• manoeuvre
• observe
• preserve
• reserve
• subserve

Kids Definition

swerve

verb

ˈswərv 

swerved; swerving

: to turn aside suddenly from a straight line or course

swerve noun