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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swerved
The Raiders took Set 4, 25-18, thanks to a missile off the hand of Raiders junior middle blocker Leila Colvin swerved through the Storm’s block to send Cretin-Derham Hall through to the Class 3A semifinals.
—
Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
The Newcastle winger swerved in and out, with Diouf’s pressure half-hearted, and scored his second goal of the season.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Witnesses told investigators that Bouchard and Vondersmith appeared to be racing when Vondersmith swerved his pickup truck into Bouchard’s motorcycle, knocking the motorcyclist into a guardrail.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
The whole operation swerved off the road and straight into a ditch.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
The man swerved into oncoming traffic and onto curbs to flee, court documents said.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
To avoid Lesch, the Honda driver swerved and crashed into Pack’s van on the side of the highway, the district attorney’s office said.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Police said the driver of a gold truck traveling northbound abruptly braked and swerved to avoid a head-on collision with Lacy's Charger.
—Deena Zaru, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2025
He was accused of driving recklessly — speeding and passing in a no-passing zone — when the motorist swerved to avoid Lacy and crashed into another vehicle.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
The Newcastle winger swerved in and out, with Diouf’s pressure half-hearted, and scored his second goal of the season.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Witnesses told investigators that Bouchard and Vondersmith appeared to be racing when Vondersmith swerved his pickup truck into Bouchard’s motorcycle, knocking the motorcyclist into a guardrail.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
The whole operation swerved off the road and straight into a ditch.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
The man swerved into oncoming traffic and onto curbs to flee, court documents said.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
To avoid Lesch, the Honda driver swerved and crashed into Pack’s van on the side of the highway, the district attorney’s office said.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Police said the driver of a gold truck traveling northbound abruptly braked and swerved to avoid a head-on collision with Lacy's Charger.
—Deena Zaru, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2025
He was accused of driving recklessly — speeding and passing in a no-passing zone — when the motorist swerved to avoid Lacy and crashed into another vehicle.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerved
Verb
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But for the two-hour show’s climax, stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo veered deliciously off-topic to cover a medley of songs first made famous 62 years ago by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Jimenez was a passenger in a northbound 2023 Nissan Sentra that veered off SR-125 near Spring Street and struck a 2007 Mercedes-Benz E350 parked on the right-hand shoulder, the CHP reported.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In car design, that meant a short roof that curved downward, for a sleek stylish look that did not preclude four doors.—
Mark Phelan,
Freep.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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But by the early 19th century, some mathematicians had started exploring other kinds of geometric spaces — ones that aren’t flat but rather curved like a sphere or saddle.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Plans include two scenic overlooks of Leavenworth and arched blue railing to echo the current bridge.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
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The roof lifts up extra high to create a standing-height dwelling out of the Model 3's arched back, opening up a surprisingly roomy RV cabin that steps well beyond a rooftop tent.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, as that game's story eventually deviated into fan-fiction territory, Age of Imprisonment is considered canon, according to Nintendo.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Etminan’s editing routine also deviated from his standard practice.—
Hugh Hart,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Murphy was hooked by the story and the girls’ strength and resilience.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
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Murphy has produced countless TV shows that have been heaped with acclaim, ratings and awards and Kardashian is a reality show star turned businesswoman and billionaire, with millions of followers and fans hooked to her every move.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In Manassas Park, Virginia, a city that is nearly 40% Hispanic, the electorate swung 22 points to the left last week for Democratic Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger.—
Halle Troadec,
ABC News,
10 Nov. 2025
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In May, the indictment said, Clase agreed to throw a ball at a certain point in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the batter swung, resulting in a strike, costing the bettors $4,000 in wagers.—
NPR,
NPR,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Her accessories truly made the look, including a pair of crystal drop earrings, bowed stilettos, and a velvet bag, which perfectly matched Prince Harry’s velvety tux.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
9 Nov. 2025
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Other companies bowed to growing pressure; two of America’s professional sports teams rebranded.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Ovechkin gathered the puck on his forehand, quickly turned it over to his backhand and whipped it into the net.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
6 Nov. 2025
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His solo debut, Barbarian, made more than $45 million on a budget of less than $5 million, and now Warners was entrusting the actor turned director with a movie costing eight times that.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swerved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerved. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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