1
as in veers
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 curves
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swerves
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
At one point during the interview, the conversation swerves into a five-minute debate about hair.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
The Bentley then swerves into a guardrail and careens back across the highway, creating a cloud of dirt and car parts.
—Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
Some readers might expect an indictment of fan fiction and celebrity culture; Yi swerves, though, and creates a more searching and subversive tale of love, connection, and art.
—Maya Chung, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
If one swerves, the other should race; but if one switches to racing, the other should swerve.
—Boris Babic, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
Yet whereas Taxi Driver ends in a sequence of redemptive carnage, First Reformed swerves in its last moments into a scene so ostentatiously at odds with everything coming before that accepting it at face value would seem to mean denying the film up to that point had anything serious to say.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
At one point during the interview, the conversation swerves into a five-minute debate about hair.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
The Bentley then swerves into a guardrail and careens back across the highway, creating a cloud of dirt and car parts.
—Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
Some readers might expect an indictment of fan fiction and celebrity culture; Yi swerves, though, and creates a more searching and subversive tale of love, connection, and art.
—Maya Chung, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
If one swerves, the other should race; but if one switches to racing, the other should swerve.
—Boris Babic, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
Yet whereas Taxi Driver ends in a sequence of redemptive carnage, First Reformed swerves in its last moments into a scene so ostentatiously at odds with everything coming before that accepting it at face value would seem to mean denying the film up to that point had anything serious to say.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerves
Verb
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This is where Dorit veers wrong a bit.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
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The video, seemingly recorded by a witness from their home window, also shows Ritchson attempting to pick up his motorcycle, which then veers onto the grassy patch by the sidewalk while his two sons, also on motorbikes, watch the confrontation play out.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Representing a departure from the artist’s preferred medium of wood, the monument curves outward from a narrow base, its vertical form and vaguely human contours seeming to emanate light, notwithstanding the material’s heft.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
8 Mar. 2026
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Groovy Baby The color combinations on this retro stripe, which curves at the will of the nail artist, are endless.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If all goes well, the Orion capsule will pass within about 4,100 miles of the moon on April 6, giving the astronauts an unprecedented view of the lunar far side as the moon's gravity bends the spacecraft's trajectory back toward Earth.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Enter the 2026 Chevrolet Trax, a compact crossover that bends the needle toward sanity and affordability.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But then the dream deviates, and takes me to the set of Gilligan’s Island, where Bob Denver, who originally played the part of Gilligan, has been replaced by a bearded intellectual who looks like Karl Marx combined with Cesar Romero, who played the Joker on the original Batman TV show.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
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The director's take deviates from Shelley's in its emphasis on forgiveness.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The front of the mouse arches down and spreads wide, suggesting the noggin of the snake it's named after.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
14 Mar. 2026
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Instead, look to modern lattices, scallops, and arches for a timeless feel that’s still up to date.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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August 23 – September 22 Persistent focus turns small tasks into big wins.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
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By the afternoon, most of North Texas turns quieter, with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s.—
Michael Autovino,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the plaintiff, questioned Mosseri on Wednesday about whether Instagram chooses profits over the health and safety of minors and whether Mosseri oversees an app that hooks younger users.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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The cat who reaches through the kennel bars and hooks a paw around your finger.—
Cathy M. Rosenthal,
San Antonio Express-News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The gardening season, after all, swings into full gear for all the tender plants after the last frost.—
Seth Jacobson,
The Providence Journal,
20 Mar. 2026
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The West Side’s 16th District, which swings from Cicero, Lyons and Riverside up through Melrose Park, features a three-way race steeped in tangled histories.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerves. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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