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
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Recent Examples of careened
More than one person fell victim to wayward gourds that careened down Midland Road to the cheers and groans of an eager audience.
—
Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2025
The car careened off the highway, hit and crossed a central barrier, collided with a tree, and burst into flames.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Hours later, the vessel careened into a nearby bridge, ejecting 19-year-old Mallory Beach into the dark water.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Three years ago this week, Hardy was on his way back from a concert in Bristol, Tennessee, when his tour bus careened off the road and rolled down an embankment.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
The hype cycle has careened straight into doomsday-prepper territory where the voices are loud, alarmist, and largely missing the plot.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
When one of Hicks’ pitches to Cruz careened past Narváez, both runners attempted to score.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
Its saga began in January 2018 when a car careened off Torrey Pines Road onto the adjacent hillside, landing in the yard of one of the Coast Walk houses below.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Kight was allegedly looking back at someone being pulled by his boat when his boat careened toward the swimmers, Green said.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2025
The car careened off the highway, hit and crossed a central barrier, collided with a tree, and burst into flames.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Hours later, the vessel careened into a nearby bridge, ejecting 19-year-old Mallory Beach into the dark water.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Three years ago this week, Hardy was on his way back from a concert in Bristol, Tennessee, when his tour bus careened off the road and rolled down an embankment.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
The hype cycle has careened straight into doomsday-prepper territory where the voices are loud, alarmist, and largely missing the plot.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
When one of Hicks’ pitches to Cruz careened past Narváez, both runners attempted to score.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
Its saga began in January 2018 when a car careened off Torrey Pines Road onto the adjacent hillside, landing in the yard of one of the Coast Walk houses below.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Kight was allegedly looking back at someone being pulled by his boat when his boat careened toward the swimmers, Green said.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careened
Verb
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Instead of taking a low profile and playing down any claims to Taiwan’s independent status like his more cautious DPP predecessor Tsai Ying-wen, Lai has lurched toward formal independence with a succession of speeches making the case for Taiwanese nationhood.—
Lyle Goldstein,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
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Hollywood lurched into a fresh wave of existential panic this week after Deadline, notating an otherwise dry industry panel on Saturday, September 27, seized on a stray remark.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Seats are elected from each of the city’s wards and serve staggered, four-year terms.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
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The 49ers, under Kyle Shanahan’s watch since 2017, traditionally have staggered through Oktoberfest, posting a 16-22 record and losing at least two October games every season except during the 2019 team’s 8-0 start.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Garcia again rammed officers’ cars and sped off before fleeing on foot and barricading himself inside his apartment, ICE said.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Crystals that cleanse All three minerals sped up the breakdown under typical environmental conditions, but the rate depended heavily on crystal structure.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Everyone danced and swayed, lazy smiles on their faces.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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After getting out of the car, Rias almost fell two times, failed to walk in a straight line and swayed with each step, the complaint said.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Brands raced to expand through new stores and soaring stock keeping units — using quantity as the main measure of success.—
Li Jun,
Footwear News,
2 Nov. 2025
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When Quentin Grimes appeared to have an open fast-break dunk, González raced across the court to foul him at the rim.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
1 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The shooting rocked the community and drew national attention to the question of how such a young child could commit such an act of violence.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts rocked the NFL world on Tuesday when the teams worked out a massive trade deal just hours before the NFL's trade deadline.—
Anne Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Things also scurried in the branches above.—
Ryan Knighton,
AFAR Media,
31 Oct. 2025
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The pair then broke into two high-security display cases, snatched various pieces of crown jewels on display, and scurried back down the ladder and escaped.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The earthquake shook at a depth of just 3 miles, with its epicenter roughly 4 miles northwest of Pinnacles.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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The Breakers shook off early losses to Mater Dei and San Clemente to set the school record for most wins in a regular season.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careened. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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