1
as in veering
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 curving
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 bending
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
4
as in deviating
to change one's course or direction
the hurricane had been following the coastline before it swerved and headed inland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swerving
Meghan took to social media Thursday, April 2, to share a video of her husband and their son Prince Archie, 6, swerving down the slopes.
—
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Police said Woods at the time was attempting to a pass a pressure cleaner truck, eventually swerving in a bid to avoid a collision.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
At Fourth and Bainbridge streets in the Queen Village neighborhood, drivers are slowing, stopping and swerving to avoid two large potholes stretching across the roadway.
—Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Authorities said the group’s behavior leading up to the incident was dangerous and escalating, with riders swerving through traffic, approaching moving vehicles and pedestrians, and in some cases intentionally riding at oncoming cars.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Those ubiquitous ride companies have reduced the scourge of drunk drivers swerving on our roads and taking the lives of others.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026
The genre-swerving approach mirrored the spirit of Cheetos® Flamin’ Hot® Dill Pickle — an unexpected pairing that delivers something spicy.
—Walaa Elsiddig, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2026
While driving the five miles home, she was recorded tailgating other vehicles, swerving off the road and crossing over into the on-coming lane, according to the Daily Mail.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
The video, which was obtained and published by The Daily Mail in October, sees her swerving on the road after a night out at Red-O restaurant in Thousand Oaks.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 5 Mar. 2026
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Police said Woods at the time was attempting to a pass a pressure cleaner truck, eventually swerving in a bid to avoid a collision.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
At Fourth and Bainbridge streets in the Queen Village neighborhood, drivers are slowing, stopping and swerving to avoid two large potholes stretching across the roadway.
—Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Authorities said the group’s behavior leading up to the incident was dangerous and escalating, with riders swerving through traffic, approaching moving vehicles and pedestrians, and in some cases intentionally riding at oncoming cars.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Those ubiquitous ride companies have reduced the scourge of drunk drivers swerving on our roads and taking the lives of others.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026
The genre-swerving approach mirrored the spirit of Cheetos® Flamin’ Hot® Dill Pickle — an unexpected pairing that delivers something spicy.
—Walaa Elsiddig, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2026
While driving the five miles home, she was recorded tailgating other vehicles, swerving off the road and crossing over into the on-coming lane, according to the Daily Mail.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
The video, which was obtained and published by The Daily Mail in October, sees her swerving on the road after a night out at Red-O restaurant in Thousand Oaks.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerving
Verb
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Related Stories The film shatters stereotypical visuals of space, veering away from cold and desaturated colors, and using warmer tones such as orange.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
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Speaking to Variety in January, the original film’s star Amanda Seyfried expressed an interest in returning for at least a cameo in a future Housemaid sequel despite McFadden’s series veering away from her character Nina Winchester.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With the main entrance positioned above the building, visitors access the wellness center via a descending staircase and a gently curving ramp.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Mar. 2026
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The changes will close much of the park, including the Greek Theater, Central Promenade, and South Plaza of Civic Center, where big festivals often set up stages and vendors line the curving sidewalks.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the Florida House supermajority, after years of blindly bending to DeSantis’ will, apparently decided that protecting Floridians from AI’s worst predations is too much to ask.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
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The desire to win has often resulted in athletes bending the rules.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Accordingly, the warring factions have competed to depict themselves as the true embodiment of MAGA and paint their rivals as undermining Trump or deviating from his precepts.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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It’s suddenly seemed like deviating from the plan in the name of competing for the Stars and Stripes was a real possibility.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The permanent exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the Nihonbashi Bridge, an arching wooden structure that once joined the five roads to Edo at the gate to the capital.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2026
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Hawaii's Kīlauea volcano was putting on a spectacular show Tuesday evening, with its latest eruptive episode producing arching bands of red lava higher than some skyscrapers.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The key now is to foster stronger intracontinental dialogue—turning these events from mere entry points into active hubs of exchange among artists, institutions, and audiences.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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The bus stopped abruptly after a Baltimore Police Department vehicle cut off the bus while turning into a private parking lot on Edison Highway.—
Chevall Pryce,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If any one case is thrown out, Trump’s allies will just try again, hooking onto any conceivable excuse until both your will and your resources are depleted.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The trial is a test case, known as a bellwether, tied to about 2,000 other pending lawsuits brought by parents and school districts arguing that social media giants should be considered manufacturers of defective products for hooking a generation of young people to social media feeds.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swerving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerving. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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