1
as in lurched
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the sled careened as it barreled down the hill
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in staggered
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 sped
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 careened
The ball careened off Benge’s glove and to his right.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
The divorced mom of three, along with Ramirez and some pals, soaked up the sun, rode on personal watercraft and careened down a giant slide.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
On his game winner, as Jake Oettinger careened toward the near post to square him up, Hughes very intentionally shot wide to the far side into a tangle of bodies.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 1 May 2026
As Bello careened toward an early exit, Skubal made mincemeat of the righty-heavy lineup Cora deployed.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Mason McTavish’s downward tip got through Tolopilo’s wickets but careened across the crease and wide.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
Pena was shifted perfectly up the middle to field it and step on second for the third out, but the grounder careened off the bag into the outfield for an RBI double.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
During just the first hour of Tuesday’s trading, the Dow careened between a gain of 74 points and a loss of 425.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
After sliding about 1,000 vertical feet, Bhatta careened into a patch of snow and stopped.
—Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
The divorced mom of three, along with Ramirez and some pals, soaked up the sun, rode on personal watercraft and careened down a giant slide.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
On his game winner, as Jake Oettinger careened toward the near post to square him up, Hughes very intentionally shot wide to the far side into a tangle of bodies.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 1 May 2026
As Bello careened toward an early exit, Skubal made mincemeat of the righty-heavy lineup Cora deployed.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Mason McTavish’s downward tip got through Tolopilo’s wickets but careened across the crease and wide.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
Pena was shifted perfectly up the middle to field it and step on second for the third out, but the grounder careened off the bag into the outfield for an RBI double.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
During just the first hour of Tuesday’s trading, the Dow careened between a gain of 74 points and a loss of 425.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
After sliding about 1,000 vertical feet, Bhatta careened into a patch of snow and stopped.
—Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careened
Verb
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So between those two things, the balance of gerrymanders has lurched pretty abruptly toward the right.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, federal policy has lurched in opposite directions.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Moments later, dazed residents staggered out as others rushed in to help.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
The Chiefs staggered throughout the campaign and looked like a husk of their usual, dominant selves.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Initially, the Tahoe slowed, but then sped away, reaching speeds of 80 mph in a 35 mph zone.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
-
The air was warm and breezy as Martin Lisius sped northeast on Texas 25, near Archer City, in his Acura MDX.—
Emily Holshouser
May 19,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2026
Verb
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But during the aufguss ceremony at BASIN Glacial Waters, people smiled and laughed and swayed to the music, and Kyan’s dance-like towel moves distracted me from the discomfort of the heat.—
Jen Murphy,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 May 2026
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According to the court, Hill made comments that could have swayed how jurors viewed the evidence and pushed them toward a guilty verdict.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Lee became the first Giants hitter to be credited with one against the Dodgers since 1981, when Larry Herndon raced around the bases against Fernando Valenzuela at Candlestick Park.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The sound was moving, and Larry raced for our plane and turned on the emergency transmitter.—
Ben East,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The former premier is considered a political ally of Sánchez, whose party has been rocked by other corruption scandals over the past two years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
-
Claude's Mythos, which rocked the financial world with its ability to exploit vulnerabilities in existing software, is a sign of how fast the industry changes.—
Elizabeth MacBride,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Wittorp scurried over to a curtained side entrance.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
After Malik closed out the fundraiser with a stump speech calling for taxing the rich, Johnson drove off in a black Porsche Cayenne, and a plump rat scurried by the venue’s entrance.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Her plea will spare a lengthy discovery period and likely mark the legal denouement of a federal probe that shook Sacramento after the FBI recorded dozens of lobbyists in the summer of 2024 as part of the investigation.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
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The writer-director sets her sophomore feature barely two years after the country shook off the despot’s iron grip.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Careened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careened. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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