swerve

Definition of swervenext
1
2
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

3
4
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 Unlike Magazine Dreams, the modest but satisfying Test avoids the lurid descent into violent psychodrama that swerved into hallucinatory Taxi Driver territory and undercut that film’s integrity. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026 O’Neil swerved to avoid the door, but still made contact with it and was thrown to the street, sources said, where the driver of a semitruck ran him over. Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026 The two drivers had been swerving between lanes and brake-checking each other before the confrontation, police said. Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 15 June 2026 The bad news for The Bold And The Beautiful and The Young & The Restless fans is that no talent from those series will cross over to Hollywood Starlet, but Bell said the vertical series will capture the spirit of those shows, in turn swerving some less savory elements in some microdrama. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for swerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerve
Verb
  • The underlying whiskey blend shows its character with some herbaceousness, with touches of barrel char, cocoa powder, and rye-forward spice to keep things from veering too much into luscious fruity territory.
    David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
  • However, while making his ascent, the experienced hiker veered off the trail and ultimately slipped and fell to his death.
    Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • Prep with a lightweight blowout cream and use a large round brush to create lift at the roots while keeping the ends smooth and softly curved.
    Amanda Le, InStyle, 25 June 2026
  • The tracks where the train derailed are on a curving section of a bridge over the Grand Calumet River.
    Darius Johnson, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Economists studying the former Soviet bloc saw oligarchs graduate from bending the rules to buying them outright.
    Gautam Mukunda, Mercury News, 20 June 2026
  • Such tasks are particularly challenging for automation because the cables can bend, twist, and shift position dynamically during transport, requiring continuous perception, adaptation, and precise manipulation.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • The final point is that markets often deviate from rewarding the long-term drivers of stock performance, like valuation and quality, which makes sticking with a winning formula very difficult.
    Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
  • The one state that deviated from this was Kentucky, which chose red velvet as its favorite cake.
    Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • At Yale, he was required to take directing classes and he got hooked.
    Beth Harris, Fortune, 20 June 2026
  • While the first few episodes are delivered free to hook the viewer, subsequent episodes are pay-per-view or consumed through a weekly or monthly pass.
    Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • By building circuits whose states naturally fluctuate with this environmental heat, thermodynamic computing turns an otherwise stochastic and chaotic feature of nature into an incredibly fast, ultra-low-energy calculator.
    Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 22 June 2026
  • Lestat is basically in Hell; having turned Nicky, he is now forever severed from him mentally, while Nicky’s mental state continues to deteriorate.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Choose grasses with tall, arching stems to set off the upright dahlia form.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2026
  • Lower back discomfort or tightness might be due to arching of your back, or your back muscles tacking on too much of the work to overcompensate for a lack of hip strength or control.
    Christa Sgobba, Health, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Any behavior requires a coordinated action across the brain—swing a baseball bat, complete a math problem—and the more the action is repeated, the more the associated neural pathways will strengthen.
    James Davis, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Ryan returned the favor in the fourth, getting Dalton Rushing, Freeland and Ohtani to all swing and miss.
    Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Swerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerve. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

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