1
as in lurching
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 staggering
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 speeding
to proceed or move quickly
sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of careening
Bystander video posted to Facebook showed two jets making contact in the air, then twisting and careening in the sky before hitting the ground and erupting in a plume of dirt and fire.
—
Tom Dreisbach, NPR, 17 May 2026
Hunter Feduccia had an infield single, and then took second when Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson rushed a throw after fielding the grounder and sent it careening into first-base foul territory and into the Rays' bullpen.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Hunter Feduccia had an infield single, and then took second when Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson rushed a throw after fielding the grounder and sent it careening into first-base foul territory and into the Rays’ bullpen.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
The first three episodes are a disaster, taking 90 minutes to establish a premise that needs to be wrapped up in the pilot, and littering the plot with enough holes to send even a more polished vehicle careening off track.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
Following the flyby, 2026 GD will continue along a 644-day elliptical path that takes it beyond the orbit of Mars before careening back towards the sun.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
When third-base umpire David Rackley gave Vitello the heave, the Giants weren’t careening toward a series loss.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The Bulls have been careening toward this turning point in the season since the trade deadline, which kickstarted a 5-16 collapse as the front office (temporarily) gave up on the postseason.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Splashdown sends boats careening into a wall of water that drenches riders and onlookers alike, welcome relief in triple-digit heat.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Tom Dreisbach, NPR, 17 May 2026
Hunter Feduccia had an infield single, and then took second when Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson rushed a throw after fielding the grounder and sent it careening into first-base foul territory and into the Rays' bullpen.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Hunter Feduccia had an infield single, and then took second when Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson rushed a throw after fielding the grounder and sent it careening into first-base foul territory and into the Rays’ bullpen.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
The first three episodes are a disaster, taking 90 minutes to establish a premise that needs to be wrapped up in the pilot, and littering the plot with enough holes to send even a more polished vehicle careening off track.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
Following the flyby, 2026 GD will continue along a 644-day elliptical path that takes it beyond the orbit of Mars before careening back towards the sun.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
When third-base umpire David Rackley gave Vitello the heave, the Giants weren’t careening toward a series loss.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The Bulls have been careening toward this turning point in the season since the trade deadline, which kickstarted a 5-16 collapse as the front office (temporarily) gave up on the postseason.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Splashdown sends boats careening into a wall of water that drenches riders and onlookers alike, welcome relief in triple-digit heat.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careening
Verb
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These are some of the heaviest grooves that Seefeel have created in ages, channeling lurching currents through intricate chains of dub delay.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
-
The ladies haven’t had that problem, lurching out of the gate like the racehorses at Ascot.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hands and small heads.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Upon receiving target coordinates, the RCH 155 can aim and fire up to nine rounds in rapid succession before speeding away in around 30 seconds, before enemy artillery has time to return fire.—
David Szondy
May 23,
New Atlas,
23 May 2026
-
Authorities say that 40-year-old Ryan Daniel Turner, a DoorDash driver, went to the police station and admitted to punching Poole after he was confronted for speeding through the neighborhood.—
Heath Kalb,
CBS News,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
The sensation of swaying high above the ground might be impossible to quell at the World Cup.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
-
The stream ended abruptly, but not before cameras captured Peters’ eyes seemingly rolling back in his head and his body swaying.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Customers also appreciated the easy setup, with one person commenting that weaving the leaves throughout the macramé details helped create a fuller, more natural look.—
Kate Donovan,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
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Variety spoke with Levy and Bright about the decision behind weaving Dean and Allie into Season 1, the NIL landscape that forced their hand on some of the book’s most popular plot points and what Hunter Davenport’s early arrival signals about where this show is going.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
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That’s because the ride has one of the best animatronic figures in SoCal, namely a black cat scurrying across a piano.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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Your eyes may see the prairie dogs digging and scurrying.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From a whistleblower lawsuit rocking Kansas City Hall to a luxury retailer headed for the Country Club Plaza, here’s a roundup of what’s making news in the Kansas City region.—
Ian Cummings,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
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Thank you all for rocking with us.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Set over the course of eight years (including the lockdown period during COVID), Herry’s film unfolds fluidly, neither hurrying scenes up unnecessarily, nor lingering too long on any incident.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Careening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careening. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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