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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of careens
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
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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Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
24 Sep. 2025
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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
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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
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The agency staggers payments across the month to manage the large volume of recipients.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The older dog is shown marching along, while the puppy scurries along, attempting to match its pace.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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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
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One call sways the difference of the game.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
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
Verb
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Old Hickory Lake, part of the Cumberland River, weaves through Hendersonville.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
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The charcoal drawing Anoma Kole Kole, 2023–24, for instance, skillfully weaves a blueprint of colonial infrastructure with images of the Africans who built transit systems.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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DirectStorage speeds up game load times, making the most of modern hardware.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
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Castro used creative building methods and took advantage of special zoning and state laws, helping keep costs low and speeds up construction.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Continue reading … HONOR CODE BUST – Navy scandal rocks Democratic candidate as new poll shows gubernatorial race tied.—
,
FOXNews.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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When a Palestinian teenager gets swept up into a protest in the occupied West Bank and experiences a moment of violence that rocks his family, his mother recounts the political and emotional threads that led to that fateful moment.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Too many big plays allowed The Commanders have given up 32 explosive plays (completions of at least 16 yards and rushes of at least 12 yards), tied for the fifth-most in the league through Week 4.—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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While the Broncos’ passing game led them to victory, the typically reliable running back group was solid as well — 44 rushes for 152 yards — even though the average per rush was dragged down by a fumble that led to a 14-yard loss for Madsen.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careens. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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