Synonyms of careens

careens

verb

present tense third-person singular of careen

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

• lurches
• sways
• rocks
• shakes
• tosses
• halts
• seesaws
• vibrates
• wobbles
• rolls
• jerks
• tumbles
• vacillates
• staggers
• falters
• totters
• teeters
• waddles
• toddles
• weaves
• wavers
• stumbles
• hobbles
• flounders
• oscillates
• undulates
• pitches
• jolts
• reels
• waggles
• blunders
• hitches
• bucks
• dodders
• wags

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

• staggers
• lurches
• weaves
• totters
• teeters
• waddles
• shuffles
• stomps
• stumbles
• rolls
• reels
• sways
• rocks
• dodders
• wavers
• seesaws
• wobbles
• clomps
• lumbers
• flounders
• barges
• clumps
• shambles
• stamps
• pounds
• blunders
• swags
• tramps
• lumps
• tromps
• scuffs
• scuffles
• galumphs

3

as in scurries

to proceed or move quickly

sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scurries
• speeds
• hurries
• rushes
• trots
• travels
• drives
• races
• chases
• flies
• jumps
• zips
• scoots
• buzzes
• runs
• scuttles
• blows
• hurls
• zooms
• whirls
• hurtles
• rips
• dashes
• darts
• blasts
• steps
• whisks
• hustles
• rustles
• jogs
• shoots
• hastens
• hies
• tears
• rams
• barrels
• bowls
• blazes
• gallops
• bustles
• motors
• bolts
• careers
• jets
• courses
• cracks (on)
• rockets
• belts
• humps
• flits
• scampers
• breezes
• bundles
• nips
• steps on it
• bombs
• makes tracks
• beats it
• accelerates
• pelts
• cannonballs
• hares
• highballs
• hotfoots (it)
• gets a move on
• whizzes
• sprints
• shakes a leg
• stampedes
• overtakes
• quickens
• outstrips
• outruns
• outpaces
• scuds
• beetles
• streaks
• steps out
• scuffles
• fast-forwards
• beelines
• arrows
• catches up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• crawls
• lingers
• drags
• lags
• pokes
• creeps
• loiters
• hangs (around or out)
• dawdles
• saunters
• ambles
• pokes
• shuffles
• tarries
• strolls
• dallies
• lumbers
• plods
• decelerates
• slows (down or up)
• dillydallies

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of careens

The truck careens directly into a sedan whose driver had seen the chase and pulled over. — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026

In the clip, filmed at her 36th birthday party, Madix careens through a bar and lands directly onto her left cheek without attempting to break her fall; her hand is busy holding up her cocktail, which stays miraculously intact. — Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026

Hal recklessly careens between personal ambition and marital loyalty. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen careens across the gravel after the rear of his car locks up during Qualifying for the first race of the season. — Brad Spurgeon, Robb Report, 9 Mar. 2026

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