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
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
The vehicle then drove westbound on Highway 12 and swerved off the road into a creek bed behind Caltrans offices on Occidental Road and Fulton Road.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 6 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
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
The vehicle then drove westbound on Highway 12 and swerved off the road into a creek bed behind Caltrans offices on Occidental Road and Fulton Road.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 6 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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Gately said witness statements gathered during a preliminary investigation suggested the driver was headed south on Allyn Street in a 2025 Ford T-250 van when the bicyclist, who was also going south in the right shoulder, veered into traffic and struck the side of the van.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
13 May 2026
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Officials said the man veered off the road for unknown reasons.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 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
-
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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Back on the highway, the rearview mirror showed the clouds had lifted, the waters were still, and a rainbow had arched across the sky.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
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Sami’s hair and beard were gray, and his thick eyebrows arched over his tired walnut eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Since then, Davidson hasn’t deviated from his plan.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As if Heated Rivalry didn’t already have LGBTQ audiences hooked, the show nearly had a bisexual icon attached.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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After getting customers hooked on two-day shipping and then next-day delivery, Amazon has been working to make same-day arrivals the new standard, and is further pressuring gig economy companies like Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats, which drop off orders within a few hours.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
12 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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The Cannes flagship marks Autry’s fifth recent opening, after units bowed in Milan, Paris’ Le Marais and Saint-Honoré, as well as London’s Soho last year.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
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Neither of his legs had shins, and they were dramatically twisted and bowed from his hips.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Ricard turned this island into a whimsical microcosm of the good life—one filled with food, drink, creativit,y and communality—and now his descendants are continuing that spirit in partnership with the Zannier hotel group.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
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Blanchette said the comment alarmed him and immediately turned his focus to Frew’s safety.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swerved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerved. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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