swerve

1 to depart abruptly from a straight line or course the car swerved sharply to avoid the squirrel in the road Synonyms break, cut, sheer, veer, yaw, zag, zig Related Words skew, slew (also slue); arc, arch, bend, bow, crook, curve, hook, round, sweep, wheel; about-face, pivot; circle, coil, curl, loop, spiral; turn, twist, wind; weave, zigzag; deviate, stray, wander, waver Antonyms straighten

2 to turn away from a straight line or course the bike path gently swerves to the right Synonyms arc, arch, bend, bow, crook, fall off, hook, round, sweep, curve, trend, wheelRelated Words circle, coil, curlicue, curl, loop, spiral; turn, twist, wind; deviate, veerAntonyms straighten

3 to cause to turn away from a straight line a dog dashed out in front of me and made me swerve my bike into the path of an oncoming car Synonyms arch, bow, crook, curve, hook, bendRelated Words arc, round; incurvate, incurve, inflect, reflect; deflect, divert; entwine, kink, swirl, turn, twine, twist, veer, warp; coil, curl, enroll (also enrol), loop, spiral; dent, dimple; meander, wave, weave, wind; decline, incline, slopeAntonyms straighten, unbend, uncurl

4 to change one's course or direction the hurricane had been following the coastline before it swerved and headed inland Synonyms detour, deviate, diverge, sheer, turn, swing, turn off, veer, wheelRelated Words tack, zigzag; double (back), turn back