CAREENING Synonyms: 155 Similar and Opposite Words

careening

verb

Definition of careening next

present participle of careen

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

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

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 Three people were injured when two vehicles collided, sending one careening into automotive shop on a Kansas City corner, a fire department spokesman said. —

Robert A. Cronkleton march 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026 The collision sent the fire truck careening into an Access-a-Ride bus, which in turn slammed into a Lexus SUV, police said. —

Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026 Uncertainty about the war has sent prices in financial markets careening up and down this week, with most taking their cues from what the price of oil is doing. —

Stan Choe, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026 Uncertainty about the war has sent prices in financial markets careening this week, with most taking their cues from what the price of oil is doing. —

ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026 Imagine that—mother, child, and a half dozen designer beasts in a teetering Winnebago, careening down byways, pulling into Woonsocket for a night to drop off last weekend’s wolf pack and pick up the next, before getting back on the road to chase glory all over again. —

Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026 His mother was working two jobs and his father, a longtime alcoholic who was often unemployed, was careening toward disaster. —

Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2026 Mother Tongue Film Festival; the ever-popular Garage Racing National Championships, which find bike riders careening through an underground parking garage; and events honoring Black History Month, including a film festival, walking tours and trivia. —

Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2026 The Dardennes-esque vérité portrait of lives careening from loss and economic hardship won two awards at the Sundance Film Festival that year — including Best Director for Hammer — and received multiple Film Independent Spirit and Gotham award nominations. —

Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for careening

Verb

There are plenty of differences, but the stability Atleti have fostered in sticking with Simeone stands in stark contrast to Spurs’ habit of lurching between managers, styles and approaches.

— Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Brant, who was elected in a special election in August, inherited an office already in disarray, in a county that has spent the past year lurching from one government crisis to the next.

— Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 19 Feb. 2026