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
Carson Pickett’s corner found the head of Melissa Kössler — who scored the first three goals in club history over the first three matches on the road trip — but the ball careened sideways off the German’s head from just outside the goalie box, and went out of bounds.
—
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
After sliding about 1,000 vertical feet, Bhatta careened into a patch of snow and stopped.
—Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
The car then careened through two yards before hitting a Chevrolet Equinox parked in the driveway of a home, officials said.
—Michael Guise, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
One commercial jet careened into a seawall while landing in heavy fog; another plunged into Tokyo Bay for unknown reasons; yet another, into Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, also for unknown reasons.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
The shot careened off the rim and the crowd erupted as Texas State defeated the Mountaineers 60-57 — its seventh victory in eight games.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Within seconds, a tsunami of ice, snow and debris the size of a football field careened downhill around them, thick enough to nearly bury a house, authorities said, citing the accounts of survivors.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
In response, the stock market has careened and then recovered to historic heights, home sales hit a 30-year low, and the labor market remains sluggish.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
This one careened off Xavier Hutchinson’s hands and into the waiting arms of safety Craig Woodson.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
After sliding about 1,000 vertical feet, Bhatta careened into a patch of snow and stopped.
—Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
The car then careened through two yards before hitting a Chevrolet Equinox parked in the driveway of a home, officials said.
—Michael Guise, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
One commercial jet careened into a seawall while landing in heavy fog; another plunged into Tokyo Bay for unknown reasons; yet another, into Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, also for unknown reasons.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
The shot careened off the rim and the crowd erupted as Texas State defeated the Mountaineers 60-57 — its seventh victory in eight games.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Within seconds, a tsunami of ice, snow and debris the size of a football field careened downhill around them, thick enough to nearly bury a house, authorities said, citing the accounts of survivors.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
In response, the stock market has careened and then recovered to historic heights, home sales hit a 30-year low, and the labor market remains sluggish.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
This one careened off Xavier Hutchinson’s hands and into the waiting arms of safety Craig Woodson.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careened
Verb
-
Since then, the larger culture has lurched rightward, with big corporations abandoning progressive signaling in favor of…other priorities.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Over the course of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s term, CPS has lurched from budget crisis to budget crisis, able only to muddle through due to record-breaking mayoral declarations of tax-increment-financing surpluses.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hunt times are staggered according to age groups.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Plus, the Herro and Powell minutes likely will continue to be as staggered as when one started and one played in reserve, with Herro subbed out midway through Wednesday night’s first quarter.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sharma sped to 50 off 23 balls.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The Jeep driver slammed on the breaks and reversed, crashing into the front of Acosta’s patrol car and sped off, leaving the gate pieces on the road.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
People swayed to Cléopâtre's music on Sunday, with some singing along and blowing her kisses, while performers in colorful clothes danced on stage.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Big Wild was up next on the Be stage, bringing melodic dance and peaceful vibes to the crowd gathered, who swayed to the music or lay out on the grass.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Peter Barnum, one of the people on shore who raced to the rescue, described the exhaustion of one of the victims, the father.—
Ted Scouten,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Armed to the teeth With a 5-2 lead, the Red Sox raced through the final frames.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the war with Iran has rocked markets, sending the Dow and Nasdaq into correction territory.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The horrific shooting has rocked the Plainville community, with its reverberations being felt throughout the state.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
All three Mets runners scored as Baty scurried to third with a triple.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
With Game 3 of the World Series underway at Dodger Stadium last October, a few folks scurried across a pedestrian bridge with LED lights and blue glow sticks.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When Bradford delivered the detail about the sandwich, the board and attendees laughed and shook their heads.—
Chevall Pryce,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Stocks shook off an early stumble to finish with slim gains on Wall Street Thursday and close out their first winning week since the start of the Iran war.—
Damian J. Troise,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Careened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careened. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
