1
as in veered
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
2
as in curved
to turn away from a straight line or course
the bike path gently swerves to the right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arched
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
4
as in deviated
to change one's course or direction
the hurricane had been following the coastline before it swerved and headed inland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swerved
The suspect then allegedly swerved into the officer's lane, police say, prompting the officer to drive off into the shoulder to avoid a crash.
—
Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 15 May 2026
Just months after the unit started, one officer in an unmarked police car spotted a man on a dirtbike and swerved across a yellow line into oncoming traffic, hitting the motorcyclist head-on and sending him flying.
—Eric Umansky, ProPublica, 11 May 2026
Zack Kelly pitched himself to the edge of disaster, then masterfully swerved out of harm’s way.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 May 2026
Her 2018 masterpiece, Golden Hour, swerved gracefully between country and pop.
—Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Police say the boy, who was carrying three other teens, swerved into the southbound lane and struck a Suzuki Swift.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
The driver swerved to the right to get around the car.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Shoemaker swerved right off the 210 and rolled his Ford Bronco down the embankment, about three stories high, and onto the 57 freeway.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
During the ensuing six-minute pursuit, Estrada swerved the Nissan in and out of lanes on both sides of the road, at times reaching 80 mph.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 15 May 2026
Just months after the unit started, one officer in an unmarked police car spotted a man on a dirtbike and swerved across a yellow line into oncoming traffic, hitting the motorcyclist head-on and sending him flying.
—Eric Umansky, ProPublica, 11 May 2026
Zack Kelly pitched himself to the edge of disaster, then masterfully swerved out of harm’s way.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 May 2026
Her 2018 masterpiece, Golden Hour, swerved gracefully between country and pop.
—Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Police say the boy, who was carrying three other teens, swerved into the southbound lane and struck a Suzuki Swift.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
The driver swerved to the right to get around the car.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Shoemaker swerved right off the 210 and rolled his Ford Bronco down the embankment, about three stories high, and onto the 57 freeway.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
During the ensuing six-minute pursuit, Estrada swerved the Nissan in and out of lanes on both sides of the road, at times reaching 80 mph.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerved
Verb
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Since the ceasefire, his public comments have veered from threats to restart bombing to declarations that a peace deal was at hand.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
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While Jarman veered from the bridal norm, Spencer’s classic suit with a light blue shirt was far more standard.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The heavier dust particles are pushed back by sunlight, forming a broad, often curved tail that reflects sunlight according to Swinburne University of Technology.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Video emerged online showing a red Ferrari shooting out of a tunnel along the highway at a high speed, slamming into a concrete barrier where the road curved and erupting into flames.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When Sarah’s eyes moved from the map to the paper piling up in my writing nook marked with the chicken scratchings of a madman, her eyebrows arched to the highest point eyebrows can arch.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
The interior has arched marble hallways and opulent gold walls in the 12 butler's pantries.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the lawsuit said SSP America deviated from the core menu the parties had agreed upon, and began using recipes and serving dishes of lower quality at Gene's Bistro.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
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Braun is no stranger to accent work, having deviated from his normal speaking voice to play comedian Andy Kaufman in 2024's Saturday Night and an Australian character for 2016's Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
7 May 2026
Verb
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But the thread that hooked Howard was how Avedon parlayed his success and status in the world of pop culture to create stirring and thought-provoking images about the wider world.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
20 May 2026
-
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden with Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto hooked me for all of its three hour and 16 minutes running time.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
Verb
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In a matter of hours, the South Korean Kospi swung from a fresh record high, above the 8,000 milestone, to a 6% loss.—
Katie Foley,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
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Rowles was one of several RedHawks who swung a big bat Wednesday afternoon during a 17-0 nonconference win in four innings over visiting Providence in Chicago.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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After landing her final move, Liu waved and bowed to each corner of the arena, leaving no section without attention.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
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This was announcement comes exactly one year after Dogma 25 bowed at Cannes, with five Danish directors – May el-Toukhy, Milad Alami, Annika Berg, Isabella Eklöf and Jesper Just – announcing their projects.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Verb
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That mugshot—with her straight dark hair, motorcycle jacket, and flat, defiant stare—would come to represent a nation, and generation, in crisis; a startling declaration that America’s own sons and daughters had turned violently against their country.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
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Rather than focusing on the White House setting itself, White said his attention quickly turned toward how bugs could affect lighting, camera shots and the overall broadcast presentation during a live pay-per-view event.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swerved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerved. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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