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
Relevance
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
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 careens
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
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
-
Make the most of the shoulder seasons Almost all schools in England enjoy the long summer break at the same time (unlike in Scotland, which staggers its school vacation time for each region).—
Lottie Gross,
AFAR Media,
29 Aug. 2025
-
The agency staggers payments across the month to manage the large volume of recipients.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In some versions of the tale, the wolf scurries off to the forest while the three pigs live happily ever after in humble homesteads of their choice.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
-
By now, though, her face falls completely off and scurries away.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The museum gets off with a bang by taking guests on a simulated trip to space in a high-tech elevator lined with pin-sharp ultra-HD screens and a floor which gently sways to simulate zero gravity.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Yet, across the water, a seemingly impenetrable wall of the invasive plants sways in the wind, several feet tall.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Mechanical engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a new framework that speeds up the design of shock-absorbing foam materials, used in everything from sports and military helmets to spacecraft landing struts.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
-
This is incredibly important to finance and commercial teams, and speeds the time to insights by six times, in my experience.—
Chris "Jay" Hawkinson,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Golden State Valkyries player Temi Fagbenle rocks the runway in Seyah, a brand founded by teammate Tiffany Hayes.—
Brendan Le,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Kunis) to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Jacir weaves in more salient archival imagery.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Our team keeps an eye out for summer-weight fabrics like gauzy cotton, airy linens, and waffle weaves that are designed to feel breathable.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Perhaps that is what rushes in to fill the vacuum where Meursault’s morality ought to be.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
-
But while the new movie dawdles on its way to Toxie’s origins, then rushes toward a finale with a lurching rhythm that verges on calculated ineptitude, its spirit never feels inauthentic.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The adventurous archaeologist travels the globe looking for missing artifacts and historical treasures.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The couple often travels to car shows, from Julian to Santa Barbara, and Lynne has vintage outfits to match the cars.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careens. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share