SWERVES Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

swerves

verb

present tense third-person singular of swerve

as in veers

to depart abruptly from a straight line or course the car swerved sharply to avoid the squirrel in the road

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straightens

as in curves

to turn away from a straight line or course the bike path gently swerves to the right

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straightens

as in bends

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deviates

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

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 swerves The elegant staging tries to compensate, but the performers have to rely a little too heavily on their own charms to make up the difference in a play that swerves unexpectedly at the end into a cutesy fairy tale. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 At times comical, each of these stories swerves and plunges deep into dark truths of human nature. — Literary Hub, 9 June 2026 And then, quite predictably, Hacks swerves away from that pain at the last second. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 May 2026 The one who swerves first loses face but survives. — Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 The conversation swerves to the inevitable topic of AI and art. — Erin Entrada Kelly, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026 As the season swerves into Lap 2, let’s see who’s doing better (and worse) lately. — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 4 May 2026 Duprey then swerves and slides under a vehicle. — Mark Prussin, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026 At first, the robot drives around a glass panel displaying an ad, but then swerves back inside the bus shelter and hits the panel without one. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerves

Verb

Despite the abundance of berries, the fragrance never veers into the medicinal territory that cherry can sometimes take on.

— Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 31 July 2026
The timepiece veers confidently into tool-watch territory, separating it from other precious-metal and bracelet Overseas models.

— Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 26 July 2026

Definition of veers

Verb

Uganda, a country that curves around Lake Victoria, took on a completely different shape.

— Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Tumon Bay, the island’s main resort district, curves in a sweep of gorgeous waters backed by limestone cliffs and a skyline of hotels that reflect Guam’s long‑standing popularity with Japanese and Korean travelers.

— David Dickstein, Oc Register, 17 June 2026

Definition of curves

Verb

The liquid metal provides an electrical pathway that can deform with the surrounding rubber-like material instead of snapping when the skin bends or stretches.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026
The hole gently bends from right to left, with fairway bunkers staggered along both sides.

— Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of bends

Verb

Palm Aire residents Wayne Oken and Richard Hosford say the plan deviates from what was originally promised when the development was first unveiled.

— Joan Murray, CBS News, 30 July 2026
This production choice deviates from Marvel's usual digital pipeline, with large-format film capturing significantly more visual detail.

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of deviates

Verb

As the piano arches into a sparkling glissando, a harp follows suit, carving out space for a light, airy synthesizer drone to materialize.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026
My friend also recommends the Hoka Clifton style, which takes pressure off your heels and arches thanks to the rocker-style sole.

— Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 11 July 2026

Definition of arches

Verb

Face filters can be advanced, but images may break if a scammer turns their head or is asked to stand and spin around, Whyte said.

— Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Garrett, the former seventh overall draft pick who turns 29 on Wednesday and will be under club control for two more seasons after this, suffered a torn UCL midway through the 2024 season.

— David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of turns

Verb

The Connecticut rapper’s debut swings from tongue-in-cheek provocations to slam-poetry clunkers, landing a few solid punchlines and pop hooks along the way.

— Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026
If the answer swings on how the question was phrased, the model is not measuring anything about the match.

— Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of swings

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swerved

swerves

swerving

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“Swerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerves. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of swerves

verb

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