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
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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
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Recent Examples of careened
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
Mason McTavish’s downward tip got through Tolopilo’s wickets but careened across the crease and wide.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
Pena was shifted perfectly up the middle to field it and step on second for the third out, but the grounder careened off the bag into the outfield for an RBI double.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
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
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
Mason McTavish’s downward tip got through Tolopilo’s wickets but careened across the crease and wide.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
Pena was shifted perfectly up the middle to field it and step on second for the third out, but the grounder careened off the bag into the outfield for an RBI double.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careened
Verb
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As Aden Kassaye and her mother got out to inspect the damage, Beas Solorio reportedly lurched the BMW forward, making contact with Ayalew’s torso, prompting Ayalew to slam her hands on the BMW’s hood to brace herself and yell at the driver.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
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So between those two things, the balance of gerrymanders has lurched pretty abruptly toward the right.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Employers are encouraged to support remote work, staggered shifts, and flexible hours.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
The lone survivor of the half-hour killing spree, critically injured 49-year-old David Hernandez, staggered to a nearby street where police officers were trying to revive another Santos victim.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
These were signs the women could easily read as the air cooled and their hearts sped.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
In the months that followed, investigators determined that Mackenzie, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, intentionally sped up the car.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
My frustration is partly with the quality of content from the AI models, but mainly with people who are swayed by the eloquent language and don’t consider what’s being said.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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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.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
These two great rivals never raced each other again.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
After exchanging blows, the youngster raced on to a Djokovic drop shot before exquisitely returning with a faint backhand of his own, leaving his opponent with his hands on his knees in disbelief.—
Thomas Schlachter,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Blue Origin officials have been able to get a closer look in recent days at the site where the company's towering New Glenn rocket exploded in a dramatic fireball that rocked Florida.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
The collapse of Swalwell’s campaign rocked the crowded race, and left room for other candidates to surge in the polls.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Wittorp scurried over to a curtained side entrance.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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After Malik closed out the fundraiser with a stump speech calling for taxing the rich, Johnson drove off in a black Porsche Cayenne, and a plump rat scurried by the venue’s entrance.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Tolle shook off his short last outing and did his part to keep the Orioles off the board.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
-
That famous summer, at the fireworks in Versailles, every streaking green flame shook a sheet of light across the crowd sitting on blankets on the lawns.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Careened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careened. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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