Synonyms of careen

careen

verb

kə-ˈrēn 

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

• lurch
• sway
• rock
• shake
• halt
• roll
• toss
• vibrate
• wobble
• jerk
• tumble
• vacillate
• stagger
• totter
• falter
• waver
• toddle
• seesaw
• weave
• waddle
• stumble
• pitch
• hobble
• oscillate
• undulate
• reel
• teeter
• flounder
• blunder
• jolt
• buck
• hitch
• dodder
• wag
• waggle

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

• stagger
• lurch
• weave
• totter
• waddle
• teeter
• stomp
• roll
• stumble
• shuffle
• reel
• sway
• rock
• waver
• dodder
• wobble
• seesaw
• clomp
• barge
• clump
• lump
• shamble
• stamp
• flounder
• tramp
• galumph
• blunder
• tromp
• scuffle
• pound
• scuff
• lumber
• swag

3

as in to scurry

to proceed or move quickly

sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scurry
• speed
• hurry
• rush
• race
• travel
• fly
• drive
• jump
• trot
• chase
• zip
• scoot
• run
• scuttle
• dart
• blow
• rip
• buzz
• hurl
• hurtle
• dash
• tear
• step
• zoom
• whirl
• blast
• hasten
• shoot
• ram
• career
• jog
• course
• jet
• motor
• rocket
• hie
• blaze
• bolt
• whisk
• rustle
• breeze
• hustle
• gallop
• bowl
• crack (on)
• hump
• barrel
• belt
• nip
• bundle
• highball
• pelt
• flit
• beat it
• make tracks
• hare
• scamper
• bustle
• cannonball
• bomb
• get a move on
• hotfoot (it)
• accelerate
• step on it
• shake a leg
• sprint
• overtake
• stampede
• whiz
• streak
• outstrip
• quicken
• outrun
• scud
• beetle
• outpace
• step out
• scuffle
• catch up
• fast-forward
• arrow
• beeline

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• creep
• crawl
• linger
• drag
• poke
• hang (around or out)
• loiter
• dawdle
• tarry
• poke
• lag
• saunter
• stroll
• amble
• shuffle
• decelerate
• plod
• slow (down or up)
• lumber
• dally
• dillydally

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of careen

Brent’s price careened between $72 and $102 last month as worries rose and fell about when the war with Iran would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again to deliver crude to customers worldwide. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Hal recklessly careens between personal ambition and marital loyalty. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026

Three people were killed, and one person was injured in Bedford Park after a driver fleeing a police stop careened off a bridge and struck a freight train, Chicago police said. — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

One Life Stand is the heart-on-the-sleeve album the group had been careening toward. — David Harris, SPIN, 21 July 2026