1
as in to lurch
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the sled careened as it barreled down the hill
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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
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3
as in to scurry
to proceed or move quickly
sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of careen
Waves careened over the boardwalk and houses were reduced to rubble.
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Laura Thompson, Curbed, 22 Nov. 2024
An intoxicated driver in a Ferrari went off a road in Strawberry and careened into Richardson Bay, police said.
—Marin Independent Journal, The Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2024
Most notable among them, the giant Cat in the Hat balloon got caught in the high winds and careened into lamppost along Central Park West.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
But the careening end to the war in Europe threw a wrench into the battery operation.
—Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for careen 
Laura Thompson, Curbed, 22 Nov. 2024
An intoxicated driver in a Ferrari went off a road in Strawberry and careened into Richardson Bay, police said.
—Marin Independent Journal, The Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2024
Most notable among them, the giant Cat in the Hat balloon got caught in the high winds and careened into lamppost along Central Park West.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
But the careening end to the war in Europe threw a wrench into the battery operation.
—Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for careen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careen
Verb
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After being hailed for years as a rare GOP moderate, Gov. Spencer Cox lurched to the political right this year.Erin Alberty, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
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Downshifts worked a little better, since doing so never ran the risk of hitting fuel cutoff and lurching forward, thereby ruining corner entry.Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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When Oklahoma City signed the former New York Knick this past offseason, the vision was for the pair of 7-footers to coexist on the floor while also staggering their minutes some to ensure one was almost always on the court.Nick Crain, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
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Their successors would serve terms that would be staggered, with one term expiring every two years.Tobi Raji The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But scurrying across this land of extreme whiteness is, paradoxically, one of the darkest animals on Earth: a species of velvet ant known as Traumatomutilla bifurca.Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
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Florida mice, an imperiled species with distinctive big ears and hind feet, scurried through the sand, captured on a night camera.Emily L. Mahoney, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Its dusty rose plaster walls are a perfect foil for the graphic shadows of the trees, including Mexican fan palms, which sway above an understory of cacti and lush banana trees.Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2024
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If you’ve been swayed by the new ad promoting the Apple Watch as a great device to boost your motivation and help keep your new year’s resolutions, then a new sales at Amazon and Best Buy are timely.David Phelan, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Auroras are ribbons of light weaving across Earth's northern or southern polar regions, according to NASA.Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 31 Dec. 2024
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Nonproliferation is deeply woven into U.S. foreign policy.Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The town, which only has one stoplight, opted to not put a speeding camera in that area.Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 19 Dec. 2024
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Currently, physicians can spend hours getting up to speed on a patient's history and care status, especially for new patients.Bernard Marr, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Its success was far from certain: getting a missile to lock on from a rocking boat is very different to aiming from an aircraft, and will have required effective stabilization.David Hambling, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
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Engulfed in the unpredictable Dionysian crowds rocking him left and right like a 15th century caravel, Reed vowed to carry on until morning like locals traditionally do.Ana Leorne, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In the opening scene of Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) sobs in bed before hurrying to the window to look upon the shadow of the demon entrancing her, Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard).Hilton Dresden, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Dec. 2024
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The movie shows the 6888 women hurrying to turn it into an office.Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Careen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careen. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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