SWERVE Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'swerve' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of swerve are depart , deviate , digress , diverge , and veer . While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness. // swerved to avoid hitting the dog

Q: Where would 'depart' be a reasonable alternative to 'swerve'?

While in some cases nearly identical to swerve , depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type. // occasionally departs from his own guidelines

Q: When might 'deviate' be a better fit than 'swerve'?

Although the words deviate and swerve have much in common, deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course. // never deviated from her daily routine

Q: When could 'digress' be used to replace 'swerve'?

The words digress and swerve can be used in similar contexts, but digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse. // a professor prone to digress

Q: How are the words 'diverge' and 'depart' related as synonyms of 'swerve'?

Diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions. // after school their paths diverged

Q: When would 'veer' be a good substitute for 'swerve'?

In some situations, the words veer and swerve are roughly equivalent. However, veer implies a major change in direction. // at that point the path veers to the right

swerve

verb

ˈswərv

Definition of swerve

as in to veer

to depart abruptly from a straight line or course the car swerved sharply to avoid the squirrel in the road

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straighten

as in to curve

to turn away from a straight line or course the bike path gently swerves to the right

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straighten

as in to bend

to cause to turn away from a straight line a dog dashed out in front of me and made me swerve my bike to one side of the bike path

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deviate

to change one's course or direction the hurricane had been following the coastline before it swerved and headed inland

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb swerve contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of swerve are depart, deviate, digress, diverge, and veer. While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

Where would depart be a reasonable alternative to swerve?

While in some cases nearly identical to swerve, depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

When might deviate be a better fit than swerve?

Although the words deviate and swerve have much in common, deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

When could digress be used to replace swerve?

The words digress and swerve can be used in similar contexts, but digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

How are the words diverge and depart related as synonyms of swerve?

Diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

When would veer be a good substitute for swerve?

In some situations, the words veer and swerve are roughly equivalent. However, veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

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 swerve Add in just a bit of variation, and a population that does not swerve emerges. — Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026 Not long after, video footage showed the vehicle swerving erratically between lanes. — Jenny Jarvie follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 The unexpected encounter prompted him to swerve left, before hitting a fence and entering a field. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026 Towards the end of the teaser (around 21 seconds), a black car is seen swerving around traffic. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swerve

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerve

Verb

Multiple students suffered minor injuries when a small school bus veered off the road and struck a building in Suffield on Thursday morning, sending nearly a dozen individuals to the hospital.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
Wispy greens mixed with light beige tones give this one plenty of texture without veering into pumpkin-patch territory.

— Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of veer

Verb

That’s apt because the technological stroke that’s allowed Jamestown to revive One Times Square’s interiors is the evolution of digital screens that can slink along curving walls and respond to touch.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s central plaza, which spreads out beneath the building’s curved, hovering form, was always meant to be a generous civic space.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of curve

Verb

Step around, and potentially inside, awe-inspiring vehicles from the film, or come face-to-face with the Bene Gesserit, a group of priestesses who possess, among other things, the ability to bend the will of others.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
For the flexibility assessment, the app guides you through various movements, such as raising your arms and bending your legs.

— Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of bend

Verb

Neon has been in communication the SCP Wiki team to ensure the film’s distribution does not deviate from their mission and licensing guidelines.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
The complication shows the moon phases for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with a 135-tooth driving wheel that drastically enhances accuracy, deviating by just one day every 122 years.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of deviate

Verb

Democratic strategist Jay Satterfield said the goal is not to turn rural Virginia blue.

— Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
Today, about six decades after being turned into a hotel, the property is owned by the same group that owns The Witchery at the Castle—an explanation, perhaps, for its signature theatrical flavor.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of turn

Verb

Terracotta tiles are at his feet; behind him is a gnarled pine tree, arching toward the sea.

— Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Its initial trajectory after stage separation will put the spacecraft on the same course as previous flights, arching toward a reentry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of arch

Verb

When the Spider swings past a silverish-gray newsstand filled with copies of the Daily Bugle, the frame becomes black-and-white, even in the color version.

— Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
There was no notice to staff that swings in blood sugar levels can cause the kind of emotional distress and behavioral outbursts that got Christian in trouble.

— Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of swing

Browse Nearby Words

swept (away)

swerve

swerved

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Swerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerve. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of swerve

verb

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