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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of careening
The music has this loose, careening-down-a-hill vibe, and the choreography does, too.
—
Alan Light, New York Times, 7 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
But with no immediate answer under center, the search may be careening toward a star with more baggage than recent wins.
—Ryan Deto, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025
Last spring, school after school struggled to keep their commencements from careening into controversial territory.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
The fleeing vehicle entered San Francisco and went careening through the city’s crowded streets.
—ArsTechnica, 27 Mar. 2025
This stony assassin may well be orbiting the sun at this very moment, careening down a celestial path that could, one day, intersect with ours.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
But the simplicity of the sequence of events — Smith’s shot perfectly careening off the side of the rim and Şengün’s subsequent positioning for the putback — was indicative of Houston’s rebounding prowess.
—Kelly Iko, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
The train hit the truck on the right side, sending it careening northeast into a switching control box and then a telephone pole.
—The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Alan Light, New York Times, 7 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
But with no immediate answer under center, the search may be careening toward a star with more baggage than recent wins.
—Ryan Deto, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025
Last spring, school after school struggled to keep their commencements from careening into controversial territory.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
The fleeing vehicle entered San Francisco and went careening through the city’s crowded streets.
—ArsTechnica, 27 Mar. 2025
This stony assassin may well be orbiting the sun at this very moment, careening down a celestial path that could, one day, intersect with ours.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
But the simplicity of the sequence of events — Smith’s shot perfectly careening off the side of the rim and Şengün’s subsequent positioning for the putback — was indicative of Houston’s rebounding prowess.
—Kelly Iko, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
The train hit the truck on the right side, sending it careening northeast into a switching control box and then a telephone pole.
—The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careening
Verb
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More momentum-swaying sequences occurred in the second quarter.—
Alec Lewis,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
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Sandy shores, a deep blue ocean, swaying palm trees?—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Craft is the connective tissue of our history, weaving itself through each iteration and enabling new players to interpret it in novel ways.—
Bill Connolly,
Rolling Stone,
30 Dec. 2024
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But police must notice a primary violation, such as speeding or weaving across lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law.—
David A. Lieb,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Symptoms like a fast heart rate, or shortness of breath, shaking and chills, confusion or lethargy.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
24 Dec. 2024
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Your ruler Mercury will also station retrograde in Sagittarius—your seventh house of partnerships—on November 9, revealing all the ways your desires for independence may be shaking things up with up your closest allies and enemies.—
Roya Backlund,
StyleCaster,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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By forcing his posts to the top of feeds, elevating like-minded voices, and driving critics off the platform, Musk revealed the raw power of ownership.—
Jackie Snow,
Quartz,
14 Apr. 2025
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So what’s driving the need for these changes?—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Moose Mountain Falls indoor water park is a big draw, with a constant temperature of 86 degrees perfect for zipping down waterslides and floating on the lazy river.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA TODAY,
21 Dec. 2024
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But in the six years since the probe has been zipping through outer space and flying by the Sun?—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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By jumping to agentic, Amazon can make home assistants that are capable and conversational like ChatGPT but also have a framework for communicating and controlling external services, as Alexa and Siri can.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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On Sunday, McIlroy blew up for a double bogey on the first hole before jumping out to a massive lead.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Enlist the help of a running coach.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Dec. 2024
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The move ends, or brings to the next phase, one of the longest-running and most public marital breakdowns in modern Hollywood history.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Street performers and buzzing crowds returned to Bourbon Street on Thursday after police reopened it hours before the Sugar Bowl, which was delayed a day and was expected to draw 70,000 fans to the nearby Superdome.—
Christopher Cann,
USA TODAY,
4 Jan. 2025
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From patient inquiries to administrative notifications, your inbox is probably constantly buzzing.—
Ajay Prasad,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careening. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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