1
as in to lurch
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the sled careened as it barreled down the hill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of careen
An asteroid just came careening into our atmosphere, burning up in a dramatic fireball over Russia.
—
Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
And in this year’s ten episodes, From just kept careening forward, giving its ensemble opportunity after opportunity to play the fear, mania, desperation, loyalty, and love that comes out of surviving horrible things together.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2024
The rocky democratic landscape just seemed to get bumpier as a dramatic year careened toward its end, with mass protests in Mozambique and Georgia, an election annulled in Romania and an attempt to impose martial law in South Korea.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Shoppers scrambled for safety as the vehicle careened for several hundred yards.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for careen 
Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
And in this year’s ten episodes, From just kept careening forward, giving its ensemble opportunity after opportunity to play the fear, mania, desperation, loyalty, and love that comes out of surviving horrible things together.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2024
The rocky democratic landscape just seemed to get bumpier as a dramatic year careened toward its end, with mass protests in Mozambique and Georgia, an election annulled in Romania and an attempt to impose martial law in South Korea.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Shoppers scrambled for safety as the vehicle careened for several hundred yards.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for careen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careen
Verb
-
Context: Cox, who previously nurtured a profile as a moderate conservative and critic of President-elect Trump, lurched to the political right last year.Erin Alberty, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025
-
The departing team rushed out and climbed into the vehicle, which lurched away, vanishing with haste.C.J. Chivers Robert Fass Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The Bruins needed offense from the center, especially after Elias Lindholm staggered at the start.Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
-
On November 28, 1924, Raymond A. Dart, a professor at the University of Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, was getting ready to attend a friend’s wedding when a pair of South African Railways workers staggered up his driveway with two large crates.Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Occasionally one scurried in circles around a disabled vehicle, a utility pole or the trunk of a tree.C.J. Chivers Robert Fass Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
-
Collectors have been scurrying to find what are now known as tax scam records ever since.Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Duffy will have sway over unspent funds for EV charging and more under the 2021 infrastructure law.Ben Geman, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025
-
Wandering the French Quarter, savoring beignets at Café du Monde, and swaying to jazz on Frenchmen Street—these quintessential experiences are exactly what your introduction to the Big Easy should be all about.Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
This means weaving compelling narratives around the numbers, bringing the human impact of inclusion to life.Julie Kratz, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
-
Penn State’s quarterback weaved through the depths of Hard Rock Stadium, stepping over the heaps of blue and gold confetti that paved the way to Notre Dame’s locker room.Audrey Snyder, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Once inaugurated, President Trump can speed things along by gathering the remnants of America’s sleepy and fragmented maritime bureaucracy under the umbrella of an empowered and dynamic maritime leader—in a new Cabinet-level post or a high-level Directorship at the National Security Council.Craig Hooper, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
-
Graphic by Sohail Al-Jamea & David Newcomb The bicycle lane on Stockton Boulevard is barely two feet wide in most places, leaving cyclists a few inches from speeding traffic.Ryan Lillis, Sacramento Bee, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The pups rocked a blend of their parents' fur colors, black and yellow.Liz O'Connell, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
-
Between the lines: Lurie has vowed to fight corruption at City Hall in response to several scandals involving department heads and nonprofits that have rocked the city in recent years.Nadia Lopez, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Pope took a series of pictures with her phone, her hands shaking, and hurried back around the house and into her apartment.Ian Frisch, Curbed, 9 Jan. 2025
-
Wildfires raged across Southern California on Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead and prompting thousands of evacuations as blazes closed in on Los Angeles neighborhoods like the Pacific Palisades and residents hurried to escape.Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to careen
Thesaurus Entries Near careen
Cite this Entry
“Careen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careen. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share