swerves

verb

present tense third-person singular of swerve
1
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
2
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
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in deviates
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

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
  1. veers
  2. curves
  3. bends
  4. deviates
  5. arches
  6. turns
  7. hooks
  8. swings
Verb
  • Instead, Orton leans into the immersive, dreamy sounds of Weather Alive to craft a new album that veers more closely toward late-night jazz clubs than music for the spacey set.
    — David Harris, SPIN, 29 June 2026
  • That last flavor is augmented by the whiskey’s higher proof, which veers toward burn but pulls back at the last minute.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 June 2026
Definition of veers
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of curves
Verb
  • Oceania Allura berths at Moll Adossat, 10 minutes from La Rambla, but the day here bends away from the boulevard.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026
  • The sporting goods powerhouse considered new details, from certain silhouettes creating unwanted tan lines to the way a skirt drapes when a woman bends over to pick up her tee.
    — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of bends
Verb
  • According to the distillery, the whiskey is made using the same distillation and barrel-entry proof as the core bourbon, but then deviates from there.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 July 2026
  • The Washington Post spoke to seven current and former National Park Service staffers who said the policy deviates from the agency’s long-standing approach to release as much information as possible.
    — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 25 June 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
  • Using the Corsairs to strike a fortified naval port directly without risking human operators turns that tactic on its head.
    — David Szondy July 13, New Atlas, 14 July 2026
  • The additional wattage turns the usual 2-D projection into a 3-D production.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 14 July 2026
Definition of turns
Verb
  • Ceiling hooks for fishing rods, cargo door for two bikes, spray hose for cleaning gear and heated locker for drying it.
    — Kris Millgate, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • How Many Calories Rucking Burns The calorie math is what hooks many newcomers, particularly men in their 40s trying to recapture lost ground.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
Definition of hooks
Verb
  • Lizzo observed that this pressure on women is part of a cultural shift — one that swings toward cruelty.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
  • Collin Morikawa, on the other hand, swings the driver 7 mph slower but loses only 11 yards of distance.
    — Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of swings

Browse Nearby Words

swerved
swerves
swerving
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Cite this Entry

“Swerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerves. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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