1
as in veers
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 curves
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 bends
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swerves
Some readers might expect an indictment of fan fiction and celebrity culture; Yi swerves, though, and creates a more searching and subversive tale of love, connection, and art.
—
Maya Chung, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
If one swerves, the other should race; but if one switches to racing, the other should swerve.
—Boris Babic, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
Yet whereas Taxi Driver ends in a sequence of redemptive carnage, First Reformed swerves in its last moments into a scene so ostentatiously at odds with everything coming before that accepting it at face value would seem to mean denying the film up to that point had anything serious to say.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Maya Chung, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
If one swerves, the other should race; but if one switches to racing, the other should swerve.
—Boris Babic, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
Yet whereas Taxi Driver ends in a sequence of redemptive carnage, First Reformed swerves in its last moments into a scene so ostentatiously at odds with everything coming before that accepting it at face value would seem to mean denying the film up to that point had anything serious to say.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerves
Verb
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The second installment, which veers away significantly from Quinn's The Viscount Who Loved Me, sees Anthony caught in a good old-fashioned love triangle, with Kate's younger sister, Edwina.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
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But the ad also veers away from the usual Bud Light formula.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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About 10 minutes outside Page is Horseshoe Bend, where the Colorado curves through the vibrant red rock, making for a magnificent sight.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Maggie Daley Park Chicago The quarter-mile outdoor skating ribbon in Maggie Daley Park—with 27,500 feet of ice surface—is a looping path with slight elevation changes that curves past pine trees, a rock climbing wall, and a gorgeous city view.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Midwest Living,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This orbit allowed the spacecraft to pass behind Jupiter relative to Earth, creating a rare opportunity to study how the planet’s atmosphere bends radio signals.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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There is a contrarian streak that runs through John Bonner, a streak that takes the improbable and bends it to the possible — before bringing it to reality.—
Brian Robin,
Oc Register,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This nail look deviates from the classic saccharine pinks associated with Valentine's Day and uses a cool-toned berry shade.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
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Panthers goaltending coach Robb Tallas maps out the goaltenders’ schedule for the season well in advance and rarely deviates from that plan.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead, look to modern lattices, scallops, and arches for a timeless feel that’s still up to date.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Jan. 2026
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Note, however, the Vision XL is also essentially one big 10-in-tall block with a completely flat roof, whereas some hardshell RTTs, including the Skycamp, have roof designs with a high point that arches down toward the front and/or back.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Stafford, who turns 38 on Saturday, worked through a back issue that sidelined him for all of training camp and passed for a league-best 46 touchdowns and 4,707 yards.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Leavitt turns the tables on media outrage as FBI seizes Fulton election documents.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the plaintiff, questioned Mosseri on Wednesday about whether Instagram chooses profits over the health and safety of minors and whether Mosseri oversees an app that hooks younger users.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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The cat who reaches through the kennel bars and hooks a paw around your finger.—
Cathy M. Rosenthal,
San Antonio Express-News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One thing that has always bothered me is that the fridge sits in the back left corner of the hall-like kitchen, but the door swings open to the right.—
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
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Couvent is cultivating its own scene in the south of France, one that swings more Provence than Cote d’Azur.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerves. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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