Synonyms of careened

careened

verb

past tense of careen

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

• lurched
• swayed
• rocked
• shook
• jerked
• tossed
• rolled
• wobbled
• halted
• vibrated
• seesawed
• tumbled
• weaved
• faltered
• pitched
• tottered
• waddled
• wavered
• vacillated
• staggered
• floundered
• stumbled
• teetered
• reeled
• hobbled
• jolted
• toddled
• blundered
• bucked
• hitched
• oscillated
• waggled
• undulated
• doddered
• wagged

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

• lurched
• staggered
• weaved
• tottered
• waddled
• rolled
• teetered
• reeled
• shuffled
• stomped
• stumbled
• rocked
• swayed
• doddered
• wobbled
• wavered
• seesawed
• barged
• floundered
• shambled
• blundered
• stamped
• pounded
• tramped
• clumped
• lumbered
• scuffled
• lumped
• swagged
• scuffed
• clomped
• galumphed
• tromped

3

as in sped

to proceed or move quickly

sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sped
• raced
• scurried
• hurried
• rushed
• trotted
• drove
• traveled
• flew
• jumped
• chased
• zipped
• scooted
• ran
• darted
• buzzed
• stepped
• blew
• dashed
• scuttled
• rammed
• blasted
• whirled
• tore
• careered
• hurtled
• bolted
• hurled
• zoomed
• ripped
• hustled
• bowled
• rocketed
• blazed
• jogged
• barreled
• motored
• hastened
• rustled
• bustled
• breezed
• whisked
• pelted
• galloped
• humped
• coursed
• cracked (on)
• bundled
• hied
• shot
• jetted
• belted
• nipped
• bombed
• beat it
• flitted
• hared
• scampered
• sprinted
• highballed
• cannonballed
• streaked
• made tracks
• scudded
• stepped on it
• whizzed
• shook a leg
• stampeded
• hotfooted (it)
• accelerated
• scuffled
• got a move on
• beetled
• overtook
• quickened
• outpaced
• outran
• outstripped
• stepped out
• caught up
• arrowed
• beelined
• fast-forwarded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• crept
• crawled
• dragged
• poked
• lingered
• lagged
• hung (around or out)
• poked
• loitered
• strolled
• sauntered
• ambled
• shuffled
• tarried
• dallied
• lumbered
• plodded
• dawdled
• decelerated
• slowed (down or up)
• dillydallied

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of careened

The ball careened off Benge’s glove and to his right. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026

The vehicle careened into a deep gorge and was swept away. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 2 June 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

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

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

The fatal hit-and-run occurred less than two hours after a 13-year-old boy was killed riding on the back of a moped in Queens after his friend slammed into an open car door and then careened into a moving truck. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 30 June 2026

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

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