careen

verb

kə-ˈrēn How to pronounce careen (audio)
Definition of careennext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to scurry
to proceed or move quickly sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection

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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 Charted out, the twin collapses of the income and inheritance taxes look like a roller coaster careening downhill, picking up speed toward and through the twenty-first century. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 Our passing usually rattled grasshoppers into careening flight. — Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026 Roth asks in one, referencing the ghostly figure careening overhead. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026 Surveillance video of the incident shows the white vehicle involved in the collision sideswiping a car in the opposite lane, then careening toward the crosswalk that moments earlier a pedestrian had entered with a dog. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for careen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careen
  1. lurch
  2. stagger
  3. scurry
  4. sway
  5. weave
  6. speed
  7. rock
  8. hurry
Verb
  • The airplane lurched skyward, and Elwood was strapped in for the ride.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Maresca, though, does not appear to have much taste for the Premier League’s lurch towards balls into the box.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurch
Verb
  • As the deli’s surveillance video rolled, his client went from calmly standing at the counter with a bottle of Gatorade to staggering to the floor, clutching his leg and tearing at his pants.
    — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Biden called for reforms, too, in his final year, recommending that the Court’s Justices be limited to eighteen-year terms, staggered so that Presidents could appoint one every two years.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of stagger
Verb
  • During the friendship arc, fans can see Hawkins High School, while in a darker moment, windows will be illuminated with the images of scurrying rats.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Another quartet scurried around the trash can next to the dishwasher.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of scurry
Verb
  • With the challenges of supply chains and higher prices on retailers’ hands, shoppers are highly attuned to these considerations and can be swayed by retailers who demonstrate their ability to deliver on time and as promised.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Ingredients That Derail a Healthy Breakfast One factor that can sway the debate in oatmeal versus peanut butter toast is the other ingredients these foods may contain.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of sway
Verb
  • In a women's cooperative in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains, members weave wedding blankets, and at a workshop in Bagru in India, artisans pound block prints onto fabric.
    — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Novotny recently created the look for Julia Fox, weaving chestnut tones through the deeper base for a soft, lived-in effect.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of weave
Verb
  • Bohm was speeding in his BMW on Dead Man's Curve, a notorious stretch of Southern California’s Pacific Coast Highway.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Networks such as Island and Archipelago electronically matched buy and sell orders, speeding up execution and reducing reliance on traditional market makers and other intermediaries.
    — Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of speed
Verb
  • His music, a blend of charismatic and electrifying punk and post-punk, provided the hard-rocking moment of the entire three-and-a-half-hour evening.
    — David Chiu, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Roan later took to the stage in a purple miniskirt ensemble, rocking a bob.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of rock
Verb
  • Olstead ran to his cubby, put on his jumpsuit and harness, and hurried across the tarmac to the waiting jumpship.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Jeremiah Martin had a quarterback hurry on third down, forcing a throwaway.
    — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of hurry

Browse Nearby Words

cared (for)
careen
careened
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Cite this Entry

“Careen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careen. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on careen

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about careen

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