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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of careening
Steele’s video shows a black Jeep Cherokee pass his vehicle on the left shoulder, hitting the front of his vehicle and careening across lanes of traffic to strike Wright’s SUV.
—
Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
23 June 2026
Dashcam footage posted on social media shows the aircraft careening down the highway, taking out a light post before coming to a stop.
—
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Dashcam footage posted on social media showed the aircraft careening down the highway, taking out a light post before coming to a stop.
—
CBS News,
17 June 2026
The pickup was careening all over the roadway, the deputy wrote later that day.
—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
The concern is whether such stocks shot too high, too fast because of AI mania, and their careening moves have sometimes reversed direction by the hour.
—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Lyrically, the songs find the pair confronting the unknowability of adulthood all while careening between the intimacy of folk acoustics and the catharsis of electronic music.
—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
Sri Lanka was careening from crisis to crisis, then came the Mideast war.
—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
29 May 2026
Since then, Republicans in more states have been careening closer to authoritarianism, adopting laws that undermine fair elections and suppress opposing viewpoints.
—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
23 June 2026
Dashcam footage posted on social media shows the aircraft careening down the highway, taking out a light post before coming to a stop.
—
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Dashcam footage posted on social media showed the aircraft careening down the highway, taking out a light post before coming to a stop.
—
CBS News,
17 June 2026
The pickup was careening all over the roadway, the deputy wrote later that day.
—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
The concern is whether such stocks shot too high, too fast because of AI mania, and their careening moves have sometimes reversed direction by the hour.
—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Lyrically, the songs find the pair confronting the unknowability of adulthood all while careening between the intimacy of folk acoustics and the catharsis of electronic music.
—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
Sri Lanka was careening from crisis to crisis, then came the Mideast war.
—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
29 May 2026
Since then, Republicans in more states have been careening closer to authoritarianism, adopting laws that undermine fair elections and suppress opposing viewpoints.
—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careening
Verb
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The old guard of the Democratic Party suffered another body blow when three socialist congressional candidates in New York with anti-Israel platforms swept to victory, lurching the party even further to the left.
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When Colombia heads to the polls June 21, the region will be watching to see if the nation joins the right-wing surge across Latin America, with Chile, Honduras, and Costa Rica lurching to the political right over the past year.
Verb
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The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hands and small heads.
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The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.
Verb
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Internal decisions are speeding up, and work that once stretched across days can now happen in minutes.
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And then, assuming all the approvals are in place, Skyports — and its competitors — can open for business, speeding everything from blood samples to documents through the city skies.
Verb
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In her two-story home, lamps and other objects began swaying violently.
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Venezuela residents reeling from quakes During the quakes, people ran from swaying buildings.
Verb
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Around 30 Maple Park Middle School students spent the last few weeks of the summer term weaving English language arts and STEM skills together to research the international soccer teams with base camps in Kansas City and create animatronics based on their findings.
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Some thirty years after weaving Replica, Schultz set to work on a rug based on the 9040 processor made at the Shiprock plant.
Verb
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But be sure to avoid handling things such as gasoline, sunscreen, tobacco, and insect repellent, which will send them scurrying away from even the most tantalizing baits.
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Mahayahay Elementary School, located in the province of Davao Occidental, shared footage on social media showing frightened students squatting on the ground and then scurrying away when a canopy roof collapsed during the quake.
Verb
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Meanwhile, Clark looked flashy rocking her brand-new signature Nike kicks, dropping 26 points and seven assists.
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Society has brainwashed us for decades into bottling our emotions, saying less, not rocking the boat, and just carrying so much on our shoulders.
Verb
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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.
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No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.
Cite this Entry
“Careening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careening. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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