1
as in lurched
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the sled careened as it barreled down the hill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in staggered
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 sped
to proceed or move quickly
sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of careened
The ruling comes a month after a pickup careened at more than 50 mph into a crowd of people near the intersection of 85th Avenue and International Boulevard.
—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Brunson, the Knicks’ leading scorer, pulled up with about 5 seconds left to take a 3-point shot which hit the front of the rim and careened off.
—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
One person was seriously injured after their SUV careened into an intersection on Troost Avenue in Kansas City and hit a truck Wednesday morning, police said.
—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
The vehicle careened into a deep gorge and was swept away.
—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
The ball careened off Benge’s glove and to his right.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
The divorced mom of three, along with Ramirez and some pals, soaked up the sun, rode on personal watercraft and careened down a giant slide.
—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
On his game winner, as Jake Oettinger careened toward the near post to square him up, Hughes very intentionally shot wide to the far side into a tangle of bodies.
—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
As Bello careened toward an early exit, Skubal made mincemeat of the righty-heavy lineup Cora deployed.
—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Brunson, the Knicks’ leading scorer, pulled up with about 5 seconds left to take a 3-point shot which hit the front of the rim and careened off.
—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
One person was seriously injured after their SUV careened into an intersection on Troost Avenue in Kansas City and hit a truck Wednesday morning, police said.
—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
The vehicle careened into a deep gorge and was swept away.
—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
The ball careened off Benge’s glove and to his right.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
The divorced mom of three, along with Ramirez and some pals, soaked up the sun, rode on personal watercraft and careened down a giant slide.
—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
On his game winner, as Jake Oettinger careened toward the near post to square him up, Hughes very intentionally shot wide to the far side into a tangle of bodies.
—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
As Bello careened toward an early exit, Skubal made mincemeat of the righty-heavy lineup Cora deployed.
—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careened
Verb
-
Latin America has lurched rightward in recent elections, as governments scramble to curtail violence stemming from record cocaine production.
-
As the carriage lurched forward, the teen’s mother fell from the vehicle, prompting Romanch Mahajan to jump out in an effort to help her, The Times reported.
Verb
-
To ensure Miami 305 can still meet the league's minimum roster requirements, the suspensions will be staggered.
-
In exchange for taking these steps, Iran would receive financial relief staggered over time and sequenced to correspond with compliance.
Verb
-
Video shows how chase led to deadly crash Instead of stopping, the purple car accelerated and sped through a red light, according to video from Joel’s dashboard camera.
-
The riders sped away after deputies attempted to contact them, reaching speeds of more than 40 mph while riding on a sidewalk, the release said.
Verb
-
The court said jurors received instructions from the trial judge that could have improperly swayed them toward convicting him.
-
Some gold ETFs directly invest in bullion kept in vaults, while others invest in shares of mining companies that tend to follow the price of gold while also being swayed by the companies' management decisions, efficiency and financials.
Verb
-
The tradition of dragon boat races was born from the story that people raced out in boats to search for the poet and threw rice into the river so fish would not eat his body.
-
Across southeast Asia, governments have raced to facilitate deployment of electric vehicles and other fuel-efficiency measures.
Verb
-
Emir Caner led the small Baptist college for 17 years until he was removed last year as a former student and staff member’s story of abuse rocked its campus in the Georgia foothills.
-
In a scandal that rocked the business, Davis was fired from Columbia in May 1973, accused of defrauding the company of $94,000 in expense-account violations, including paying for his son Fred’s bar mitzvah and a renovation of his apartment.
Verb
-
Pip scurried over to take a seat on my foot.
-
Lee, who had extended his hitting streak to 16 games the at-bat before, scurried back to first base.
Verb
-
The quake, which struck during morning rush hour, also mildly shook Tokyo.
-
One witness said they were forced to evacuate as the earthquake shook buildings, while another reported that cracks formed on the side of their building, according to the outlet.
Cite this Entry
“Careened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careened. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
