1
as in lurches
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 staggers
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 scurries
to proceed or move quickly
sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of careens
With Good shot, the car then careens to the side of the road, crashing into a parked car.
—
Ella Lee, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2026
Delta Aurigid meteors appear each year as Earth careens through a debris trail left by an unknown comet.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
As their season careens to a close this week, with a 70-87 record going into Wednesday night, a last-place finish assured and the only record within reach being that for strikeouts in a season by the offense, contention seems as far away as it’s ever been.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
The up-and-comer goes all in as the film careens toward its gleefully gory finale, proving her scream queen bona fides with a commanding, vanity-free performance.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Their car careens off the road, hits a rock and dumps them into a river.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 Aug. 2025
Ella Lee, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2026
Delta Aurigid meteors appear each year as Earth careens through a debris trail left by an unknown comet.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
As their season careens to a close this week, with a 70-87 record going into Wednesday night, a last-place finish assured and the only record within reach being that for strikeouts in a season by the offense, contention seems as far away as it’s ever been.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
The up-and-comer goes all in as the film careens toward its gleefully gory finale, proving her scream queen bona fides with a commanding, vanity-free performance.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Their car careens off the road, hits a rock and dumps them into a river.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careens
Verb
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When, at my photographer’s request, the president approaches the window of his office to open the blinds, his bodyguard lurches forward to close them.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
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Sometimes an unexpected event lurches family members into becoming caregivers.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The first 10 minutes of the film are set in Norms, where a grungy man staggers in with a bomb, ranting about artificial intelligence.—
Fielding Buck,
Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Because of the program's size, the Social Security Administration (SSA) staggers payments across the month to keep the system running smoothly.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Bridgerton fans can spot the Old Royal Naval College mostly throughout season 2, like when a paperboy scurries across the grounds to deliver the latest gossip from Lady Whistledown in the first episode.—
Kayla Keegan,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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The hand then detaches from the arm and scurries forward towards a bannana, flips it upward and secures it on its backside using a single finger.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Williams turns his ear for propulsive and bombastic melodies onto traditional Japanese instrumentation, creating a work that sways between gentle, meditative themes for the titular geisha (Ziyi) and heart-pounding selections to fill out her chaotic, tragic life.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
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In addition, the NFL argued that the NFLPA refused to share important information about its survey, including methodology such as whether the data is weighted or averaged, and how qualitative feedback sways results.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The plot weaves together elements of romance, family drama and feminist struggle against the backdrop of a space walk gone terribly awry.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
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This rom-com weaves 1990s office culture into its fashion narrative.—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Starting with cake mix is a clever shortcut that not only speeds up the baking progress, but yields a cookie with an extra supple texture.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
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That speeds up the process and allows more patients to be seen in the same amount of time.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lawrence rocks this statement piece by pairing it with more casual items like a simple black tote bag, a beanie, and a pair of neutral colored pants.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
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In the trailer, Taylor-Joy rocks a platinum blonde chin-grazing bob.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nix almost always hurries his throws when a blitz comes Harvey’s way, regardless of whether the rookie RB picks it up capably or not.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careens. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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