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
Relevance
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
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
Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerves
Verb
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The drama veers from the usual sports-movie cliches by exploring mental health and eating disorders with a dose of psychological horror.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
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While Peters veers closer to a stock villain — the ubiquitous empowered dweeb, though those coding-sequence tattoo sleeves are a nice embellishment — Hasan Minhaj and Arturo Castro are appealing as Eve’s ENCOM associates.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The trail brushes past the Bell Rock formation, then curves away from the road and crosses some red rock ledges offering impressive vistas.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Drawings of the Duffield Cave, as seen in the YouTube video, show that the section has a narrow entrance, then curves upward before flowing left, dropping down again and bending right before angling back up to a larger chamber.—
Mark Gray,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Plasma bends the rules To build the lens, scientists sent strong electrical pulses through hydrogen gas inside a narrow capillary tube.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
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From galaxy rotation curves that defy Newton's laws to gravitational lensing that bends light in eerie ways, scientists have been piecing together clues about dark matter like interstellar sleuths.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Even in states whose policy deviates from the CDC, each pharmacy can set its own boundaries on who can be vaccinated, and individual pharmacists may fear liability for vaccinating pregnant customers, Groves said.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
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The Uncut Gems star's ensemble deviates from his signature style, which typically includes oversize T-shirts, hoodies and shorts, as well as stylish sneakers.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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These arches pivot together around common springing points to create a 40-degree tilt in just 4 minutes.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
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The Methodist church, a white wedding cake built in 1929, was a total loss; the town’s oldest commercial building, a grand colonnaded structure from 1924, looked like the Roman Forum, arches yawning around a central void.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
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And in the fall, when the air turns crisp and the fields turn orange, this unassuming little town reminds visitors that sometimes, the most unique places grow from the simplest seeds (pun intended).—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This excitement of the ghost hunt, which hooks paranormal tourists and keeps them returning, is a recurring theme among these travelers.—
Aaron Sagers,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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In contrast to AirPods, these feature a sleek design that hooks over the ear and can be adjusted to ensure an extra secure grip.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Young feels within range for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who always swings for the fences.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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But the tone swings between sour and sweet, grounded and silly, and the jokes run more broadly wacky than precise or original.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerves. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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