1
as in to lurch
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the sled careened as it barreled down the hill
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2
as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side
he careened unsteadily to the couch after hitting his head
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to scurry
to proceed or move quickly
sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of careen
Eyewitnesses reported seeing one of the railway’s two cars derailing and careening down the street before hitting a building.
—
Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
There’s no word on whether the careening bullet train will allow for drag queen fashion and performance challenges typical of the Drag Race TV series.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Of their 26 games, 20 are against teams with winning records while three are against the pesky Marlins and three are against the careening Nationals.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
That corpse and everything pertaining to it turns into the film’s Achille’s heel, producing a hazy mystery that gets lost amid the chaos of careening and colliding side stories.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for careen
Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
There’s no word on whether the careening bullet train will allow for drag queen fashion and performance challenges typical of the Drag Race TV series.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Of their 26 games, 20 are against teams with winning records while three are against the pesky Marlins and three are against the careening Nationals.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
That corpse and everything pertaining to it turns into the film’s Achille’s heel, producing a hazy mystery that gets lost amid the chaos of careening and colliding side stories.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for careen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careen
Verb
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To make for a more energy efficient and less nerve-racking exodus experience, once the line grows large enough, pulsing begins, wherein vehicles move in packs rather than lurch along at 5 mph.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
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The title track opens the affair by lurching and creeping forward for ten minutes with odd, off-putting lyrics.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Layer pumpkins of different sizes, shades, and types, and stagger their height by placing some directly on the porch, others on hay bales, and nestling some into planters.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Sep. 2025
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The planet staggered toward the most dangerous greenhouse in the fossil record.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then, either a heave, or some scurrying around and then a heave.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Sep. 2025
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In the planning stages of the two-part Viking mission, which landed spacecraft on Mars in the mid-seventies, Sagan argued that the probes should include lights and cameras, in case creatures scurried past.—
David W. Brown,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Massie and Spartz were the remaining two to vote against the rule, but leadership did not attempt to sway them to a yes.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
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Moving Hallway The walls will tilt, sway, expand and compress as visitors pass through a narrow hallway.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Aliée Istanbul All of the hotels bordering the Bosphorus have an impressive view of the boats weaving through the river’s currents and the Asian half of Istanbul on the other side.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Our Top Picks for the Best Bedroom Rugs Solid rugs can bring a pop of color into your bedroom and weave in texture at the same time.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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European firms still face challenges in securing access to crucial rare earths from China, a business lobby warned Wednesday, despite a July deal to speed up exports.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
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The prediction from the AI on the protein structure could certainly speed up the processes within drug and biotechnical development.—
Alex Harrington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Frazier came out of his corner in the 14th all but blind, rocking on unsteady legs.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
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Speaking of politics, singer and forty-ish America’s Got Talent standout from good ol’ Indiana, Adam Lambert, far right below, has been rocking a full-on Byzantine Empire surcoat/suit outfit for some time now.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As Today points out, customers took to social media to ask for Starbucks to hurry up and get Apple Crisp drinks back on the seasonal menu.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
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Foster’s hurried firing on Sunday morning comes after his hurried hiring in February 2024, his placement a band-aid one week after Chip Kelly bolted to be offensive coordinator at Ohio State.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careen. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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