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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of careen
Estabrook saw the bus careen across the offramp and over the guardrail, and raced to the ground below.
—
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 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
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
See All Example Sentences for careen
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 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
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
See All Example Sentences for careen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careen
Verb
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The energy crisis has only amplified that business case as fuel prices lurch.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
29 May 2026
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Instead of thoughtful, adaptive action, characters lurch between hesitation and reckless decisions, with catastrophic results.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
Verb
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The lone survivor of the half-hour killing spree, critically injured 49-year-old David Hernandez, staggered to a nearby street where police officers were trying to revive another Santos victim.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
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Three commissioners serve staggered six-year terms.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The only chilly part will be scurrying a few feet from the trailer door into the bathroom and back.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 June 2026
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Simply place the bait traps in areas where roaches typically scurry—along baseboards or in corners—and wait.—
Brandi Fuller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 May 2026
Verb
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After multiple practice runs on Saturday, thousands of people swayed in sync along a long stretch of Mexico City’s Paseo de la Reforma for several minutes.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
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The Tigers would head to the Sugar Bowl by way of conference tie-ins, and while another top-10 victory over Virginia Tech in New Orleans would sway several other pollsters to rank Auburn as the top team in the land, the big ones that counted awarded the Trojans with the crystal football instead.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Here, at this 200,000-square-foot factory, seamstresses work eight and sometimes 12 hours a day, weaving together the American flag.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
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In the city center and on the outskirts, cars, bicycles and pedestrians weave around the trash piles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Hilton has demanded Governor Newsom create an emergency corps to speed up ballot counting, a request Newsom's office dismissed.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
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Ramsay speeds through many of the action shots to instead focus on Joe’s psyche.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Higher education experts predict fiercer competition among colleges trying to attract students from a smaller cohort, as well as potential enrollment declines that could rock an institution’s bottom line.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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Shakira rocks a bold orange mini dress for an ISIMA event during Miami Swim Week on May 28.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Gardner, the activist, hurried over, tapped Nereyda on the shoulder and pointed toward the pit.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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The baseball team beat Calvin Christian 7-1, then hurried across the plaza at SDSU — about 50 yards — to cheer the girls on.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Careen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careen. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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