1
as in veering
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 curving
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 bending
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
4
as in deviating
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
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Recent Examples of swerving
In many ways, returning to speculative storytelling has felt like a homecoming to Gilligan, even as swerving away from crime presents a chance to expand his legacy.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Buses are larger, less capable of swerving, and take longer to brake, but bus drivers are also far more likely to drive cautiously and avoid speeding, said Toronto.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 20 Oct. 2025
After she and Austin Stowell‘s Gibbs almost locked lips during the show’s special version of Adult Swim, Lala was seriously injured in a car accident while swerving to avoid a child.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
In Los Angeles, one of the first major cities where Serve robots deployed, a man with cerebral palsy filmed a bot repeatedly swerving in his path and blocking the sidewalk, eventually resulting in a collision with his mobility scooter.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Big rigs and cars swerving outta the way not to hit her.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
When the officers attempted to pull over the BMW, the car sped off and made other unsafe driving maneuvers such as swerving around other cars and running a stop sign.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
Other cars are seen swerving into other lanes to avoid a collision.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Fabian Cruz Licona was arrested on May 26 by California Highway Patrol officers who observed him swerving in and out of his lane, according to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
—Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
Judy Berman, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Buses are larger, less capable of swerving, and take longer to brake, but bus drivers are also far more likely to drive cautiously and avoid speeding, said Toronto.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 20 Oct. 2025
After she and Austin Stowell‘s Gibbs almost locked lips during the show’s special version of Adult Swim, Lala was seriously injured in a car accident while swerving to avoid a child.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
In Los Angeles, one of the first major cities where Serve robots deployed, a man with cerebral palsy filmed a bot repeatedly swerving in his path and blocking the sidewalk, eventually resulting in a collision with his mobility scooter.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Big rigs and cars swerving outta the way not to hit her.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
When the officers attempted to pull over the BMW, the car sped off and made other unsafe driving maneuvers such as swerving around other cars and running a stop sign.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
Other cars are seen swerving into other lanes to avoid a collision.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Fabian Cruz Licona was arrested on May 26 by California Highway Patrol officers who observed him swerving in and out of his lane, according to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
—Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerving
Verb
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Other fits have been hateful, veering into racist and antisemitic diatribes.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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Despite this, most of these models show the storm veering into the Dominican Republic or heading northeast, toward the Bahamas.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Indecisive defending around the edge of the box and an unconvincing header by Maxim De Cuyper led to Matheus Cunha giving United a 24th-minute lead against the run of play with a curving shot.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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The ethereal structure comprises 297 stainless steel panels that had to be carefully fitted together and integrated with the curving staircases, whose wood elements evoke a ship’s deck.—
Blane Bachelor,
AFAR Media,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Live action and animation come together in mind-bending ways, in service of the titular mystery.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
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Researchers validated the structure using finite element method (FEM) simulations to check how stress distributes during bending.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And while that's true, the show is also its own beast, deviating greatly from King's story by weaving in military intrigue, spycraft, and Native American mythology.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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Reagan championed free trade while selectively deviating from it, according to the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Canadian cultural mosaic, in which distinct identities exist parallel to an over-arching nationalism, further offered an alternative to the melting pot model found south of the border.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
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Avoid lifting too high and arching your back.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With goal difference not a factor in this three-match format, there was no incentive for Miami to push forward in the final period, and Nashville never looked like turning the contest around.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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But Drew Mestekmaker and North Texas’ high-flying offense wouldn’t be denied, turning a three-point deficit midway through the third quarter into a 34-point road victory, keeping their College Football Playoff hopes alive.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The rescuer takes two trips, hooking each passenger up to a line, then hoisting them from the beach, the video shows.—
Daniella Segura,
Sacbee.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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By then Carolina had extended its advantage to two thanks again to Jarvis, who capitalized on the visitors’ third power play – hooking by Jackson LaCombe – with a one-time wrist shot from the right circle for his sixth goal of the season.—
Josh Gross,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swerving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerving. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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