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
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Recent Examples of careening
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
Hunter Feduccia had an infield single, and then took second when Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson rushed a throw after fielding the grounder and sent it careening into first-base foul territory and into the Rays' bullpen.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Hunter Feduccia had an infield single, and then took second when Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson rushed a throw after fielding the grounder and sent it careening into first-base foul territory and into the Rays’ bullpen.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
The first three episodes are a disaster, taking 90 minutes to establish a premise that needs to be wrapped up in the pilot, and littering the plot with enough holes to send even a more polished vehicle careening off track.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
Following the flyby, 2026 GD will continue along a 644-day elliptical path that takes it beyond the orbit of Mars before careening back towards the sun.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
When third-base umpire David Rackley gave Vitello the heave, the Giants weren’t careening toward a series loss.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
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
Hunter Feduccia had an infield single, and then took second when Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson rushed a throw after fielding the grounder and sent it careening into first-base foul territory and into the Rays' bullpen.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Hunter Feduccia had an infield single, and then took second when Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson rushed a throw after fielding the grounder and sent it careening into first-base foul territory and into the Rays’ bullpen.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
The first three episodes are a disaster, taking 90 minutes to establish a premise that needs to be wrapped up in the pilot, and littering the plot with enough holes to send even a more polished vehicle careening off track.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
Following the flyby, 2026 GD will continue along a 644-day elliptical path that takes it beyond the orbit of Mars before careening back towards the sun.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
When third-base umpire David Rackley gave Vitello the heave, the Giants weren’t careening toward a series loss.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careening
Verb
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These are some of the heaviest grooves that Seefeel have created in ages, channeling lurching currents through intricate chains of dub delay.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
-
The ladies haven’t had that problem, lurching out of the gate like the racehorses at Ascot.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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
Verb
-
After several miles, the suspect veered into the middle lanes, still speeding at around 90 mph for most of the time.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
Experts testified that Erickson and Grossman were speeding along the road.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
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In an afternoon of dazzling outfits and daring dance moves, the performers got the audience clapping, singing and swaying along to their Elvis covers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
-
To secure his nomination, Blanche would need to convince any swaying Republicans on the Judiciary Committee to get in his corner.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
But Harris’ version takes the audience deeper into their lives, weaving in characters with their own plots in the present day and subtly changing the ways in which Sam, Charlie, and Percy’s story plays out.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
11 June 2026
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This intricate style involves sectioning the hair into precise, straight lines and weaving it tightly to create neat, narrow braids.—
Omenaa Boakye,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The only chilly part will be scurrying a few feet from the trailer door into the bathroom and back.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 June 2026
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That’s because the ride has one of the best animatronic figures in SoCal, namely a black cat scurrying across a piano.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
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First and foremost, as was first reported by Shanghai Daily, the child was not seriously injured, so if your first instinct was to fear retribution for laughing at the visual of a humanoid robot doing a Rex-Kwan-Do routine in a clown wig and rocking some little kid in the chest, then worry not.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
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Add to that the soothing rhythm of a cozy train rocking along its tracks, and everyday stresses start to melt away.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 June 2026
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.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Careening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careening. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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