1
as in to lurch
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the sled careened as it barreled down the hill
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side
he careened unsteadily to the couch after hitting his head
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to scurry
to proceed or move quickly
sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of careen
And the government’s response careened from force to negotiation and back again.
—
Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
In the North Jersey town of Bethlehem, a hit-and-run driver struck a pickup truck on Interstate 78, sending it careening into a tractor-trailer parked on the side of the highway, police said.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
As the Netflix medical drama begins, an oncoming hurricane causes a bus of student athletes to careen off a bridge into the ocean.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
The series opens with a school bus careening off a bridge and plunging into the water below and only gets wilder from there.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for careen
Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
In the North Jersey town of Bethlehem, a hit-and-run driver struck a pickup truck on Interstate 78, sending it careening into a tractor-trailer parked on the side of the highway, police said.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
As the Netflix medical drama begins, an oncoming hurricane causes a bus of student athletes to careen off a bridge into the ocean.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
The series opens with a school bus careening off a bridge and plunging into the water below and only gets wilder from there.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for careen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careen
Verb
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His unsteady performance has left markets lurching from one crisis to another, and his contempt for tradition continues to rattle both Washington institutionalists and Wall Street investors.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
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Many young people then in high school may not have lost so much faith in institutions; some may not have lurched so dramatically to the political right.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Their deployments were staggered over about 15 minutes, with each satellite relying on its own timed separation mechanism.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
3 May 2025
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Perhaps the gorilla has a chance if its opponents were staggered, in a series of one-on-one battles until one of the men defeats the great ape.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Large bags of sugar sat unsealed on the tile floor, where cockroaches scurried around day and night.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
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James scurried after and hugged both his father and grandfathers' legs.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Verb
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The danger here is that with a potentially unlimited amount of money to be handed out with no public input, the political figures on the corporate board could be swayed to play favorites for reasons disconnected from infrastructure improvement.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
1 May 2025
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My son swayed gently between my legs, still wearing last night’s jammies, azure eyes trained on the flutist’s quivering embouchure.—
Ashlea Halpern,
AFAR Media,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That’s where the idea of woven came in—not just as a visual theme with so much design potential, but also as a powerful metaphor for our strength.—
Kissa Castaneda,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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Tomato plants naturally weave in and out of the support system.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 May 2025
Verb
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By learning from historical data and classification patterns, AI can help reduce human error, speed up the classification process, and handle enormous product catalogs with ease.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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This specifically is said to speed up the healing process and provide hydration on steroids.—
Perrie Samotin,
Glamour,
3 May 2025
Verb
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In recent months, Stewart hosted a podcast in a blue outfit with a crochet sweater, shared cleaning tips in a dark gray Hanro lounge set, and rocked lemon yellow from head to toe.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
People.com,
1 May 2025
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Often, the riders are geared up with helmets and motorcycle-style padded jackets, boots, gloves, and pants, unlike the Texas daredevil who is rocking some shorts and a t-shirt—and that’s about it.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Juan and Alfredo—who arrives just afterward—don’t have time to mourn their friend’s death and hurry to leave after seeing people with flashlights heading toward the building.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
1 May 2025
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When the final whistle sounded Saturday, coach Mikey Varas seemed eager for Tuesday to hurry up.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careen. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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