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
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Recent Examples of careens
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
Their car careens off the road, hits a rock and dumps them into a river.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 Aug. 2025
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
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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Sometimes an unexpected event lurches family members into becoming caregivers.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
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Three seconds later, the Honda crashes into a parked car with such force its tires fly off the street, the pile of cars lurches forward several feet and snow billows.—
Claire Galofaro,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Because of the program's size, the Social Security Administration (SSA) staggers payments across the month to keep the system running smoothly.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
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But Roman breaks free, staggers to his feet and appears to wipe his face, apparently from pepper spray.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The hand then detaches from the arm and scurries forward towards a bannana, flips it upward and secures it on its backside using a single finger.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 2026
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Jackson scurries 14 yards up the middle for a first down.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That sways decisions from time-to-time.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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Coogan stretches his massive wingspan and sways to the music as the on-air countdown ticks toward zero.—
Julia Black,
Vanity Fair,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The experience weaves together the rich history of the ship, its crew and passengers, building a deeper understanding of life aboard the Titanic.—
Kari Barnett,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
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Sanders’s violin weaves his classical roots into the pulse of jazz improvisation.—
Gina Grillo,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The formula also includes Persian silk tree extract, a fancy-sounding ingredient that speeds up your skin’s healing process, resulting in a brighter, fresher complexion.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
20 Jan. 2026
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After weeks of focusing on stability, the energy lightens and speeds up.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Across the Atlantic, Usher attends the Louis Vuitton menswear fashion show in Paris, and back in Los Angeles, Jennifer Lopez rocks a blazer for a business meeting.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
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Garner frequently rocks bangs both on and off the red carpet.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nix almost always hurries his throws when a blitz comes Harvey’s way, regardless of whether the rookie RB picks it up capably or not.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careens. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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