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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of careened
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
No one was on the barge when the helicopter careened into it and the fire has been extinguished, said the state patrol.
—Jesse Bedayn, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
And Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco, 71, was found dead in his vehicle with the driver’s side seat belt fastened tightly around his neck after his car careened into a fence in Miami in January.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025
Lombardo, who adored Haley, his first grandchild, and spent a lot of time with her, was carrying her across the street to enter the hospital when a car careened toward them out of control.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
Two days earlier, a Delta Air Lines jet careened onto its roof Monday while landing at Toronto Pearson Airport.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
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
No one was on the barge when the helicopter careened into it and the fire has been extinguished, said the state patrol.
—Jesse Bedayn, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
And Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco, 71, was found dead in his vehicle with the driver’s side seat belt fastened tightly around his neck after his car careened into a fence in Miami in January.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025
Lombardo, who adored Haley, his first grandchild, and spent a lot of time with her, was carrying her across the street to enter the hospital when a car careened toward them out of control.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
Two days earlier, a Delta Air Lines jet careened onto its roof Monday while landing at Toronto Pearson Airport.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careened
Verb
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The escalator lurched to a halt just after the pair got on.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
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On Halloween of 2022, just weeks into the new school year, senior Ehni Ler Htoo was making his way through the halls of Proctor High School in Utica, New York, when a fellow student lurched at him from behind, repeatedly plunging a 9-inch hunting knife into his back.—
Tonya Simpson,
ABC News,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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All eight teams are playing on the final day of the regular season — with times TBD, but hopefully staggered — which could make this the most chaotic finale yet.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Additional departure dates are staggered throughout July and August.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The criminal complaint says Roberts initially sped away from ICE officers in his Jeep Cherokee, before abandoning the vehicle in nearby grass.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
3 Oct. 2025
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Austin Wells followed by slicing a single to right as Chisholm sped around the bases, sliding headfirst just ahead of Nate Eaton’s throw as New York took the lead.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the second video, Cabello can be seen singing as Murray and her dad swayed together on the dance floor.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
22 Sep. 2025
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Because, in fact, I am usually immediately swayed by whatever intellectual fashion is in the air, and a first draft of any essay is more often than not a cynical and dutiful rehashing of the argument du jour.—
Zadie Smith,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Howden, a backup pressed into action by injuries to both starting safeties, raced 86 yards for a touchdown that punctuated a 26-14 Saints win.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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The Tar Heels were boat raced by TCU and UCF, losing by a combined 82-23.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At least two people died and dozens were arrested in Morocco, the latest site of Gen Z protests that have rocked countries worldwide.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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Google has been racing to find ways to integrate generative AI into its search engine since OpenAI rocked the tech sector with the launch of its chatbot ChatGPT in late 2022.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The eye midge may have implanted itself elsewhere and there’s no telling where those other icky creatures from Prodigy’s labs have scurried off to, but those are questions that will no doubt be answered once/if FX announces a second season.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
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In the planning stages of the two-part Viking mission, which landed spacecraft on Mars in the mid-seventies, Sagan argued that the probes should include lights and cameras, in case creatures scurried past.—
David W. Brown,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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By Brendan Kuty, Jen McCaffrey and Chris Kirschner NEW YORK — The crowd roared, and then the building shook.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Clark shook her head and said no to both questions.—
Jill Martin,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careened. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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