veers 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of veer
1
as in deviates
to change one's course or direction at this point the river veers to the southwest before finally emptying into the Atlantic Ocean

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in turns
to change the course or direction of (something) veered the ship abruptly to the right to avoid a collision

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in swerves
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course without warning the car veered to the left and into an oncoming truck

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

veers

2 of 2

noun

plural of veer
as in twists

Related 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 veers
Verb
That's exactly the mindset incident response leaders need when an incident veers off script from the playbook. — David Etue, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Despite the abundance of berries, the fragrance never veers into the medicinal territory that cherry can sometimes take on. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 31 July 2026 The timepiece veers confidently into tool-watch territory, separating it from other precious-metal and bracelet Overseas models. — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 26 July 2026 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 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, 30 May 2026 But Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed almost immediately veers off into wild subplots about murder, corruption, and corporate malfeasance, as if to emphasize that low-level romance scams are just the tip of the internet’s fetid iceberg. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026 Essie’s Mint Candy Apple captures that creamy green-blue finish, while Essie's Turquoise and Caicos veers more sage-esque in color. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026 Indeed, its approach often veers from intriguing to grating at times. — Charles Lewis Iii, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for veers
  1. deviates
  2. turns
  3. swerves
  4. twists
  5. swings
  6. wanders
  7. bends
  8. diverts
Verb
  • Walsh’s spaceship deviates from many of the vessels seen in Star Wars, as those ships are often dirty and grubby to emphasize their use and wear.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And the days are coming when AI is meaningfully involved in clinical care, beyond just transcribing our own words, and the follow-up recommendation deviates from the standard of care.
    — Frances Mei Hardin, STAT, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of deviates
Verb
  • These events occur when extremely hot underground water suddenly turns into steam, expands, and blasts apart the surrounding rock.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Find out what the bill does when one workflow triples its tool calls after a model upgrade, because that is the scenario that turns a modest platform fee into a line item the CFO wants explained.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of turns
Verb
  • The artist adopts a schizoid persona, with multiple voices flowing out of him, and swerves between lucid social criticism—about the history of slavery or of higher education—and total gibberish.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of swerves
Noun
  • Ritchson highlights the season's unpredictable plot, with major twists and antagonist reveals occurring earlier than expected, promising a compelling watch.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Adult party Jenga games These follow the same formats but with spicier twists on the game.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of twists
Verb
  • The gondola swings back and forth and ‘swims’ when Sepp gets agitated.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
  • And when a guy swings and misses and gets thrown out by 10 feet, that’s a bad process.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of swings
Verb
  • Later on, Bret wanders away from his friends and runs into Debbie’s father, Terry Schaffer (Wes Bentley), entertaining handsome young men in the hot tub.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Mbaye shares that loyalty, although his confidence occasionally wanders into more dangerous territory.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of wanders
Noun
  • Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s signature boho bends were another defining example of Surf Spray’s cool-girl appeal.
    — Lauren Valenti, InStyle, 31 July 2026
  • Part of that attention is aimed at Burwell’s score, a masterpiece of electronic minimalism in which pitch bends and hard clashes create the dread and whiplash that make the film so tense.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of bends
Verb
  • The attempt by former HFPA members to leverage the Golden Globe Foundation, an independent nonprofit, simply to secure Golden Globes tickets is an unfortunate distraction that inappropriately diverts resources from legitimate charitable causes.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 July 2026
  • An Israeli military official said such violence by Israelis diverts the defense force’s attention from its primary mission of defense and counterterrorism in a complex environment.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 27 July 2026
Definition of diverts

Browse Nearby Words

veeringly
veers
vegan
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Cite this Entry

“Veers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/veers. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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