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 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
The first season of Origins ended in a cliffhanger; Lala (Mariel Molino) was seriously injured in a car accident after swerving to avoid a child.
—The Deadline Tv Team, Deadline, 4 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
That criminal complaint said police attempted to pull Iversen over after receiving reports of a driver passing in a no passing zone, passing on the shoulder, speeding, swerving and nearly rear-ending other vehicles.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 12 Aug. 2025
In that case, the agency’s South Sacramento office stated that the driver was stopped after swerving and nearly crashing multiple times.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2025
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
The first season of Origins ended in a cliffhanger; Lala (Mariel Molino) was seriously injured in a car accident after swerving to avoid a child.
—The Deadline Tv Team, Deadline, 4 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
That criminal complaint said police attempted to pull Iversen over after receiving reports of a driver passing in a no passing zone, passing on the shoulder, speeding, swerving and nearly rear-ending other vehicles.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 12 Aug. 2025
In that case, the agency’s South Sacramento office stated that the driver was stopped after swerving and nearly crashing multiple times.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerving
Verb
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Austin Abrams, who stole scenes as an unhoused drug addict in Cregger’s hit Weapons this past summer, is leading the feature, which is veering away from the previous adaptations and is meant to be a love letter to the original Capcom video games while using brand new characters.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
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Case in point, de Saint Sernin veering from fashion to conceive a sleek leather chair.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Presented in Lightness & Tension, an exhibition curated by roving gallerist Ulysses de Santi, Simões’s work is rooted in material exploration, as seen in the Sleeper chair, a curving steel form that suggests Brazilian midcentury modernism.—
Rachel Gallaher,
Robb Report,
4 Oct. 2025
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Here the set becomes a comedy generator, a set of curving sides that Reeves can lean against and slide bonelessly down.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That prior nod now tees them up for Grammy voters, as do their genre-bending sophomore album, Submarine, captivating frontwoman (María Zardoya) and star-making set at Coachella 2025.—
Lori Majewski,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
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Even crows craft tools, bending twigs to similar ends.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Design With Flexibility In Mind Users don’t always behave as expected, often deviating from the ideal path designers envision.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Her memory of that day never flagged, every detail remaining crystal clear, her story never deviating.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Old-fashioned abelias with their arching shape need to be cut back to the ground every year.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
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Keep your shoulders relaxed and engage your core to avoid arching your back.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kempes scored his second on the stroke of half-time in extra time, bundling his way past two Dutch defenders and goalkeeper Jongbloed before scrappily turning home a shot that deflected in off Wim Suurbier.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Knudsen, chief scientific adviser in research and early development at Novo Nordisk, played a pivotal role in turning it into an effective drug promoting weight loss that millions of people take today.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Since it’s widely recognized that this area of the plane doesn’t often get much love from cleaners, this genius tech organizer is the best alternative, hooking onto your tray table and providing pockets for your tablet, phone, headphones, and more.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
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After hooking his tee shot into trees on the adjacent 16th hole, Scheffler punched out, walked back to the 18th fairway, and shot over tents and trees to land 40 feet from the flag.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swerving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerving. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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