1
as in lurching
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 staggering
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 speeding
to proceed or move quickly
sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection
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Recent Examples of careening
The Bulls have been careening toward this turning point in the season since the trade deadline, which kickstarted a 5-16 collapse as the front office (temporarily) gave up on the postseason.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Splashdown sends boats careening into a wall of water that drenches riders and onlookers alike, welcome relief in triple-digit heat.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026
But despite predictions of chaos from a 12% increase of horsepower and a 25% reduction in downforce (which helps maintain traction through the turns at high speed), drivers mostly kept their cars from careening out of control.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
About 30 seconds later, FHP Trooper Major executed the PIT, sending Randolph’s truck careening into a concrete wall and then into Bouffard’s car.
—Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
Intensifying violence in the Middle East could send oil prices careening above their all-time high, raising the risk of higher inflation and slower economic growth, experts said.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Three people were injured when two vehicles collided, sending one careening into automotive shop on a Kansas City corner, a fire department spokesman said.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The collision sent the fire truck careening into an Access-a-Ride bus, which in turn slammed into a Lexus SUV, police said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Imagine that—mother, child, and a half dozen designer beasts in a teetering Winnebago, careening down byways, pulling into Woonsocket for a night to drop off last weekend’s wolf pack and pick up the next, before getting back on the road to chase glory all over again.
—Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Splashdown sends boats careening into a wall of water that drenches riders and onlookers alike, welcome relief in triple-digit heat.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026
But despite predictions of chaos from a 12% increase of horsepower and a 25% reduction in downforce (which helps maintain traction through the turns at high speed), drivers mostly kept their cars from careening out of control.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
About 30 seconds later, FHP Trooper Major executed the PIT, sending Randolph’s truck careening into a concrete wall and then into Bouffard’s car.
—Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
Intensifying violence in the Middle East could send oil prices careening above their all-time high, raising the risk of higher inflation and slower economic growth, experts said.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Three people were injured when two vehicles collided, sending one careening into automotive shop on a Kansas City corner, a fire department spokesman said.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The collision sent the fire truck careening into an Access-a-Ride bus, which in turn slammed into a Lexus SUV, police said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Imagine that—mother, child, and a half dozen designer beasts in a teetering Winnebago, careening down byways, pulling into Woonsocket for a night to drop off last weekend’s wolf pack and pick up the next, before getting back on the road to chase glory all over again.
—Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careening
Verb
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Still, morale is much worse compared with December 2024, before DOGE took aim at the health agency's budgets and staffing, and before rounds of lurching job cuts and reinstatements left thousands of CDC workers in limbo or severed from their careers.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
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There are plenty of differences, but the stability Atleti have fostered in sticking with Simeone stands in stark contrast to Spurs’ habit of lurching between managers, styles and approaches.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Instead of staggering the fests and conferences over nine or 11 days, everything is now crammed into the same seven-day period, including film and TV, education, comedy and tech.—
Thor Christensen,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Add additional rows of blocks, staggering them over the previous layer and using construction adhesive between rows.—
Daniel Modlin,
Architectural Digest,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Beyond fuel concerns, speeding also is a safety risk.—
Matthew Daly,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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Price was speeding south on Edgerton and slammed into the Corolla, a collision that pushed the sedan across the road and into the fence of Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The melodic closer had the huge crowd energized and swaying along, as the nearly 50-foot stage, fully adorned in LED lights, beamed hypnotic celestial imagery in neon blue.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Mar. 2026
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Antifa mobilizes in support of comrades on trial Ahead of jury deliberations, supporters of the defendants staged a protest on Wednesday afternoon outside the courthouse, with the apparent purpose of swaying the jury’s decision.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The film unfolds on an elite engineering campus, weaving together zombie horror, youth comedy and social satire.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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The voice of Cuban singer Amaury Gutiérrez added a melodic thread, weaving nostalgia and pride into the atmosphere.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But here from West Palm Beach’s cheap seats, people scurrying inside glass conjures up those halcyon summers of magnifying glasses, ants and mean kids.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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Someone walking outside paused for a second, taking a closer look, before scurrying on their way.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Technically, Brown’s been rocking a horseshoe or biker mustache.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
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At a certain point, Frenza’s rocking transcends her hips, seems to come from something greater than her, from her very essence.—
Agnieszka Szpila,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Instead of hurrying to break up tents and scatter RVs, Lee and Oakland’s interim homelessness chief Sasha Hauswald want city workers to focus on minimizing trash and human waste around encampments.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
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Meza Gonzalez and David Christian, one of her attorneys, refused to answer questions from reporters about the plea agreement, hurrying down a flight of stairs at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center.—
Megan Rodriguez,
San Antonio Express-News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Careening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careening. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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