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
Fisher’s Mustang also careened off the highway and hit a light post, police said.
—
Greg Wehner, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
Orlando is beaming after Paolo Banchero’s return (and keeping pace in the East), while Boston is careening further away from championship form with each game.
—Chris Branch, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
The Cinder then careened toward At Attin, with SM-33 doing his best to right the ship enough for a safe-ish landing.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 14 Jan. 2025
Trying to adjust the heat by tapping blindly at a smooth pane of glass while careening down a highway at 75mph isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for careen 
Greg Wehner, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
Orlando is beaming after Paolo Banchero’s return (and keeping pace in the East), while Boston is careening further away from championship form with each game.
—Chris Branch, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
The Cinder then careened toward At Attin, with SM-33 doing his best to right the ship enough for a safe-ish landing.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 14 Jan. 2025
Trying to adjust the heat by tapping blindly at a smooth pane of glass while careening down a highway at 75mph isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for careen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careen
Verb
-
With a little modulation in either mode, the throttle is responsive without lurching.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
-
But Fleming And John play their unholy hybrid with absolute conviction, the drums thundering and guitars lurching as Fleming McWilliams howls out her best Robert Plant.—
Marc Hirsh,
Vulture,
21 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
During combat, adrenaline is built up and that’s used for special moves like a Battle Cry that staggers enemies or other tide-turning moves.—
Gieson Cacho,
The Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Even in 2023 when the Yankees staggered to an 82-win finish their bullpen produced a 3.34 ERA.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
In the first period, after Victor Hedman whiffed on an offensive-zone shot, Poitras scurried off with Frederic for a two-on-one rush.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
The Athletic,
14 Jan. 2025
-
The animal scurried underneath the gate, where Colvin scooped him into his arms.—
John Mac Ghlionn,
Newsweek,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
According to The Athletic, the option to pick his own general manager helped sway Coen’s mind and the 39-year-old was back in Jacksonville a day later to visit the team.—
Ben Morse,
CNN,
24 Jan. 2025
-
In the last clip, Alba continues to sway her hips and dance in a grey sweatshirt and matching leggings while Hayes dribbles his basketball.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
That’s where Tim Shelton set it in 2011 for Xavier Thames, who weaved through USC’s defense for a last-second layup and a 56-54 win.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Dosunmu spent most of his night chasing Curry around the perimeter, weaving his way through a tumult of screens in his attempt to slow Curry down.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Trump has promised to cut taxes and ease regulations on business, which could speed GDP growth.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2025
-
The answer was to stretch the silicon crystal lattice somewhat, allowing charge to speed through faster.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Proof of that legacy comes with D’Angelo, Chaka Khan, George Clinton, Terry Lewis and Living Colour’s Vernon Reid attesting to the Family Stone’s massive popularity at the time over footage of the group rocking the stage.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Other performers were able to camp it up, in costume to cover ‘90s hits by Cher or the Spice Girls, but rocking it out with Carlile and the Hanseroth Twins headbanging behind her, Amanfu sounded as serious as a heart attack.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
As the fire roared down a hillside toward their Altadena home, Vanessa Prata and her parents hurried to pack their car.—
Gene Johnson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
12 Jan. 2025
-
An aggressive front will hurry Allen in the hopes of avoiding a shootout.—
The Athletic,
The Athletic,
9 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 4 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share