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
-
That film begins with charismatic bank robber Ryan Gosling in a thrilling motorcycle escape from the cops, and moves through several twists and turns, lurches forward in time, and holds Gosling at its heart as a man doing bad things for good reasons.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
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
-
The older dog is shown marching along, while the puppy scurries along, attempting to match its pace.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Hayley then flashes a strip of sonogram photos at the camera as the couple smiles and sways in the sunlight.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
-
As such, wardrobe styling and other modes of non-verbal communication — from raising an eyebrow or throwing a cutting look to the way one lights a cigarette or sways to a disco beat — were particularly key to creating character.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Tintinnabuli was inspired, in part, by Pärt’s interest in much earlier styles of Christian music, including Gregorian chant – the single-voice singing of Roman Catholicism – and Renaissance polyphony, which weaves together multiple melodic lines.—
Jeffers Engelhardt,
The Conversation,
10 Sep. 2025
-
On Water Expeditions The Hooghly River weaves through the Indian state of West Bengal from the Ganges, its parent river, to the sea, through a landscape lined with mustard fields and mango orchards.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Anduril highlights that the architecture also speeds software updates.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Insoluble fiber speeds up digestion and keeps your gut running smoothly.—
Courtney Southwick,
Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There are two key differences between the pairs, with the first being that the OG rocks a wraparound ankle strap, while the lookalike has a slingback design.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
9 Sep. 2025
-
After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, a lack of suspects prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to team up with Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The 32 basket and gourd artworks by 14 artists are made from nature, out of materials ranging from willow, grasses and yucca to rushes.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The festival director rushes back and forth, talking on the phone.—
Sara Stridsberg
September 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careens. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share