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
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Recent Examples of careens
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
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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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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Hothead follows, and, when the lawyer staggers out to take a leak, Hothead shoves a gardening fork through his neck.—
Jo Livingstone,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
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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
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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The final shot sees Tom gazing out the window as a curtain gently sways in the warm breeze.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
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Hundreds of baskets holding young oysters called spat are strung along a line that floats on the surface and sways like a long black snake in the water.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The film’s seamless structure weaves together elements of folklore, intimate observation and environmental urgency.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
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Enjoy tennis, pickleball, and padel courts and perfect your swing on the 18 holes of the Greg Norman–designed El Camaleón Golf Course, which weaves through jungle, canals, and coastline.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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During one depressive episode, Springsteen somberly speeds down the road in his Camaro before violently hitting the brake.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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Jonah escapes and speeds off in a bright yellow Jeep with Tali hiding in the back.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rudy rocks it as Frankenstein Tiny tot Rudy rocked a green-and-black Frankenstein hat and jacket, which cost around $20.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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This 50-inch Hisense TV rocks a 4K UHD with HDR10 and Dolby Vision that make your shows pop.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ports like Los Angeles are clogged with pre-tariff inventory rushes, causing multi-week bottlenecks.—
Vitalii Savryha,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Oct. 2025
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The Broncos’ second-year quarterback became the first player in NFL history to log two touchdown passes and two touchdown rushes in a fourth quarter.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careens. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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