careening

verb

present participle of careen
1
as in lurching
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 staggering
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 speeding
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 careening Charted out, the twin collapses of the income and inheritance taxes look like a roller coaster careening downhill, picking up speed toward and through the twenty-first century. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 Our passing usually rattled grasshoppers into careening flight. — Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026 Roth asks in one, referencing the ghostly figure careening overhead. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026 Surveillance video of the incident shows the white vehicle involved in the collision sideswiping a car in the opposite lane, then careening toward the crosswalk that moments earlier a pedestrian had entered with a dog. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 Video then shows a sedan careening toward the driver and his vehicle. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026 The truck lost a tire before careening off the highway and into Nimishillen Creek. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 One Life Stand is the heart-on-the-sleeve album the group had been careening toward. — David Harris, SPIN, 21 July 2026 The impact sent the Hyundai over the curb and careening into the pedestrian before striking a parked 2026 Hyundai Odyssey, cops said. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careening
  1. lurching
  2. staggering
  3. speeding
  4. swaying
  5. weaving
  6. scurrying
  7. rocking
  8. hurrying
Verb
  • The United States, which had been lurching toward entry in the Second World War, was suddenly and inescapably thrust into global conflict.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Republicans see Democrats lurching to the left and embracing socialism as an opening to link their opponents to the far more radical communism.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurching
Verb
  • The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hands and small heads.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
  • The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 May 2026
Definition of staggering
Verb
  • Some city and agency officials wondered about the effects of cars speeding past old buildings or museums with precious art inside.
    — Adam Kilgore, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Helicopter footage captured by local CBS and NBC affiliates showed the blue motorcycle speeding on surface streets, with the rider wearing a mask and often appearing to be talking on his phone, and at least once, standing up on his bike.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of speeding
Verb
  • Styled after a tropical paradise with swaying palm trees, Lost Island Waterpark offers endless aquatic fun during its summertime opening season, with slides, rides, and attractions.
    — Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2026
  • After a few hours under the hot sun, there was no better cool down than swaying to Babyface classics.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado July 22, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of swaying
Verb
  • Entertainment Tonight correspondent Emily Curl will introduce the package, weaving in interviews and on-location interviews from the newsmagazine’s 45-year library of episodes.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Adela follows her grandfather’s footsteps while transforming his political and anthropological work into art, weaving a sound map from languages at risk of disappearing.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of weaving
Verb
  • Hikers often spot these charismatic creatures perched on boulders or scurrying through wildflowers.
    — Brittany Peterson, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Set on a stage at the very highest level of the stands, that similarly crowded performance looked like a Grammys medley on video but must have resembled ants scurrying around a screensaver to much of the in-person audience.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 19 July 2026
Definition of scurrying
Verb
  • May is going strong with stellar entertainment rocking the hottest clubs on the beach.
    — miami staff, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • There are times when Linkin Park fills more spaces than any other singer or group on the rock tallies, thanks to a catalog that includes some of the biggest hard-rocking tracks of the past several decades.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of rocking
Verb
  • That’s how Drake Maye ended his latest two-minute drill at Patriots training camp Monday, a meandering march that began around midfield and ended with Maye hurrying the offense to the 3-yard line with 10 seconds on the clock.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Set over the course of eight years (including the lockdown period during COVID), Herry’s film unfolds fluidly, neither hurrying scenes up unnecessarily, nor lingering too long on any incident.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 17 May 2026
Definition of hurrying

Browse Nearby Words

careened
careening
careens
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Cite this Entry

“Careening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careening. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of careening for Spanish Speakers

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