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
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
At one point during the interview, the conversation swerves into a five-minute debate about hair.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
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
At one point during the interview, the conversation swerves into a five-minute debate about hair.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerves
Verb
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For cocktails, try a matcha grasshopper, or keep it classic with a gin and tonic that veers far from rail gin with flat tonic from the soda gun.—
Kaitlyn Rosati,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2026
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Check out this 1997 live TV version of Paranoid Android, which veers from lullaby to apocalypse within the space of a few minutes.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Phoebe Philo’s version, a backless white tank with a dramatic ruffle that curves across the waist and up the shoulder blades transforms the silhouette into an avant-garde sculpture.—
Diana Tsui,
Footwear News,
15 June 2026
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The dials are all adorned with a railway minute track that curves around every petal to accentuate the flower’s form.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The infrastructure bends with them.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
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The gusset acts as extra reinforcement that could mean the difference between calling a tow truck and limping to civilization even if the spindle bends.—
Kristin Shaw,
Popular Science,
31 July 2025
Verb
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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
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The Act’s control over owners and clubs also deviates substantially from American practices and is chilling to investment.—
Chris Deubert,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The protective netting that arches over so many of the roads in the eastern Donbas region – stopping drones in their tracks – is not your friend here, but a limitation on movement.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
Inside, stone arches top Roman columns overlooking courtyard after courtyard.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
3 Feb. 2026
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,
12 June 2026
-
For a moment, the mood turns sour.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Marketing experts say while more and more cash is flowing into the clip-ification of all things, those watching the content can view clips as cheap and disposable moments, not something that hooks someone on a show or internet personality.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
12 May 2026
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Set in the late 1980s, the film follows 13-year-old Felice (an exceptional Tiziano Menichelli), a budding tennis star whose overbearing father hooks him up with Raul Getti (Favino), a flameout former pro with a new lithium prescription and a serious ladies-man streak.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Marie dips them in paint and swings them like a brush, leaving thick, violent marks across a white canvas.—
Nia Dumas,
NPR,
16 June 2026
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Think about a car door that swings open near a cyclist.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerves. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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