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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of careen
During just the first hour of Tuesday’s trading, the Dow careened between a gain of 74 points and a loss of 425.
—
Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
As the Boston Red Sox careened toward their eighth loss just ten games into the season, the chants grew louder.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
When third-base umpire David Rackley gave Vitello the heave, the Giants weren’t careening toward a series loss.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The Bulls have been careening toward this turning point in the season since the trade deadline, which kickstarted a 5-16 collapse as the front office (temporarily) gave up on the postseason.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for careen
Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
As the Boston Red Sox careened toward their eighth loss just ten games into the season, the chants grew louder.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
When third-base umpire David Rackley gave Vitello the heave, the Giants weren’t careening toward a series loss.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The Bulls have been careening toward this turning point in the season since the trade deadline, which kickstarted a 5-16 collapse as the front office (temporarily) gave up on the postseason.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for careen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careen
Verb
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And while navigating Washington isn’t getting any easier, world leaders are starting to lurch out of a wait-and-see mode and chart their own paths to prosperity.—
Shelly Banjo,
semafor.com,
13 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile the Caliente Range — those mountains just to the west — are lurching the opposite way.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the Transit officers descended down to the 4/5/6 platform, one of Griffin’s victims came staggering up the stairs, seeking medial attention, Tisch said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
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The Heat continued to stagger the minutes of its top two scorers, as Herro again started and Norman Powell again played off the bench.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nearby, her downstairs neighbor, Marina Quiroz, was showing a video of rats scurrying through her kitchen to a representative of the city’s tenant protection office.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Going outside now means scurrying along giant arcades, shaded from the Sun by massive canopies that filter 99% of its UV light.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Biff shouts at him at the show’s excruciating climax) sways between light and dark, between the road and the deadly shoulder, advancing through his last hours on earth as if through the stations of the cross.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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There were bird feeders hanging from the trees, fountains for the pollinators, and wind chimes swaying to and fro from the back porch.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The mandolins weave intricate patterns together, in counterpoint or unison.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
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This over 1,000-mile route weaves through breathtaking Great Lakes landscapes, tracing the edge of the glacier that covered these parts over 12,000 years ago.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In Michigan City along the lakefront, a new second track speeds up travel time to Chicago, and plans call for a $300 million luxury hotel and townhouse development to transform the city into a commuter and tourist destination.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
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The British Army and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) have completed a multi-week test in Essex using drones, advanced sensors, and AI to speed up and make safer the hunt for deadly mines and munitions scattered on battlefields.—
David Szondy
April 11,
New Atlas,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The blistering journey was followed by a splash landing in the ocean where the crew rocked on the water awaiting extraction before being transported to a boat, then a helicopter, and finally the recovery ship.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
13 Apr. 2026
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But things changed in early 2024, when Fidesz was rocked by scandal.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some of us hurried to the NASA website to learn more about this frontierswoman, with the extravagant hair and the biceps of a steelworker, a photo of which also went viral.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
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The waterfall itself was surprisingly large and powerful, with its spray spotting cellphone screens as tourists hurried to take selfies in front of it, despite its fair distance from the pond's fence line.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Careen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careen. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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