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
Example 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
And the government’s response careened from force to negotiation and back again.
—
Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
In the North Jersey town of Bethlehem, a hit-and-run driver struck a pickup truck on Interstate 78, sending it careening into a tractor-trailer parked on the side of the highway, police said.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
As the Netflix medical drama begins, an oncoming hurricane causes a bus of student athletes to careen off a bridge into the ocean.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
The series opens with a school bus careening off a bridge and plunging into the water below and only gets wilder from there.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for careen
Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
In the North Jersey town of Bethlehem, a hit-and-run driver struck a pickup truck on Interstate 78, sending it careening into a tractor-trailer parked on the side of the highway, police said.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
As the Netflix medical drama begins, an oncoming hurricane causes a bus of student athletes to careen off a bridge into the ocean.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
The series opens with a school bus careening off a bridge and plunging into the water below and only gets wilder from there.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for careen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careen
Verb
-
His unsteady performance has left markets lurching from one crisis to another, and his contempt for tradition continues to rattle both Washington institutionalists and Wall Street investors.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Many young people then in high school may not have lost so much faith in institutions; some may not have lurched so dramatically to the political right.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Their deployments were staggered over about 15 minutes, with each satellite relying on its own timed separation mechanism.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
3 May 2025
-
Perhaps the gorilla has a chance if its opponents were staggered, in a series of one-on-one battles until one of the men defeats the great ape.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Large bags of sugar sat unsealed on the tile floor, where cockroaches scurried around day and night.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
-
James scurried after and hugged both his father and grandfathers' legs.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Or, simply hang up a hammock and sway to the sound of the stream, songbirds and the gentle swoosh of the wind through the trees.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2025
-
Mayoral sway Chicago mayors have a history of bending the requirements of the head of schools’ title to fit their goals for handling the unwieldy finances of CPS.—
Nell Salzman,
Chicago Tribune,
12 May 2025
Verb
-
The choreographer Annie-B Parson weaves her dancers through the action, adding energy and grace without ever slowing the plot.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
13 May 2025
-
The terror weaves across decades and across the globe, but the threads themselves loop back on themselves over and over again.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
By learning from historical data and classification patterns, AI can help reduce human error, speed up the classification process, and handle enormous product catalogs with ease.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
-
This specifically is said to speed up the healing process and provide hydration on steroids.—
Perrie Samotin,
Glamour,
3 May 2025
Verb
-
The new parents tried everything—rocking, feeding, lullabies—but nothing was working.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
-
Longoria rocked a red maxi dress, while Bastón wore a black top and black cropped pants.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
Juan and Alfredo—who arrives just afterward—don’t have time to mourn their friend’s death and hurry to leave after seeing people with flashlights heading toward the building.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
1 May 2025
-
When the final whistle sounded Saturday, coach Mikey Varas seemed eager for Tuesday to hurry up.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careen. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share