SWERVE Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'swerve' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of swerve are depart , deviate , digress , diverge , and veer . While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness. // swerved to avoid hitting the dog

Q: Where would 'depart' be a reasonable alternative to 'swerve'?

While in some cases nearly identical to swerve , depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type. // occasionally departs from his own guidelines

Q: When might 'deviate' be a better fit than 'swerve'?

Although the words deviate and swerve have much in common, deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course. // never deviated from her daily routine

Q: When could 'digress' be used to replace 'swerve'?

The words digress and swerve can be used in similar contexts, but digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse. // a professor prone to digress

Q: How are the words 'diverge' and 'depart' related as synonyms of 'swerve'?

Diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions. // after school their paths diverged

Q: When would 'veer' be a good substitute for 'swerve'?

In some situations, the words veer and swerve are roughly equivalent. However, veer implies a major change in direction. // at that point the path veers to the right

swerve

verb

ˈswərv

Definition of swerve

as in to veer

to depart abruptly from a straight line or course the car swerved sharply to avoid the squirrel in the road

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straighten

as in to curve

to turn away from a straight line or course the bike path gently swerves to the right

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straighten

as in to bend

to cause to turn away from a straight line a dog dashed out in front of me and made me swerve my bike to one side of the bike path

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deviate

to change one's course or direction the hurricane had been following the coastline before it swerved and headed inland

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb swerve contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of swerve are depart, deviate, digress, diverge, and veer. While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

Where would depart be a reasonable alternative to swerve?

While in some cases nearly identical to swerve, depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

When might deviate be a better fit than swerve?

Although the words deviate and swerve have much in common, deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

When could digress be used to replace swerve?

The words digress and swerve can be used in similar contexts, but digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

How are the words diverge and depart related as synonyms of swerve?

Diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

When would veer be a good substitute for swerve?

In some situations, the words veer and swerve are roughly equivalent. However, veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

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 swerve Then secrets emerge about Chan-yeong, a 12-year-old boy the family has only ever seen as the culprit, and the case swerves. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 Drivers should never swerve or jerk the steering wheel, the state patrol said. — Celia Frazier, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026 So can throw pitches that rise, sink or swerve at a velocity that gives the hitters a millisecond to process, usually with exceptional accuracy. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026 Ditka has been losing contemporaries since July of 1964, when Willie Gallimore’s Volkswagen swerved and rolled, killing Gallimore and Bo Farrington in a training camp tragedy. — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swerve

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerve

Verb

After impact, the motorcycle veered off the right side of the highway through the gore of the exit ramp and into the rest area’s grassy median.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 Oct. 2026
And in September, Hurricane Marie churned up big waves that damaged oceanfront homes near Los Angeles before veering away from the coast.

— Nicholas Grondin, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of veer

Verb

Animators studied ostriches before feeding their digital movement curves into a six-axis mechanical rig carrying the performers.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
The tangle of stubby points stood out like overgrown thumbs, and the down-curving prongs on either side of his head were at least a foot long.

— Al Dawson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of curve

Verb

The team plans to investigate three-dimensional structures that could support more complex movements, including bending, twisting, and shearing.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Dark matter also seems to warp space itself, bending light around objects in a process known as gravitational lensing.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of bend

Verb

But in Central Asia, far from the empire’s center, local artists sometimes used the mosaics to deviate from the official agenda.

— Yulia Denisyuk, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026
But over time, due to a variety of systems issues with obtaining certain medications, the lethal injection protocol has deviated from the standard devised by Chapman.

— M. Sara Rosenthal, STAT, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of deviate

Verb

You’ll be hooked enough to pick up the next in the series, A Court of Mist and Fury, which follows the love story between Feyre and her mate.

— Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 17 Oct. 2026
Officials want compact plants that hook directly into factories and server farms.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of hook

Verb

He’s handcuffed to this stupid project, and swaths of people have instantly turned their back on him without knowing any of the facts.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
By July, the side project turned into a full-time job when MLB hired Weingardt as a principal product manager to explore changes to its flagship app.

— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of turn

Verb

But try to go back the other way, the doorway is rectangular rather than arched.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
There is an intentional yawning gap in the floor leading to the basement, and nearly half the building is an open void crisscrossed by arching beams.

— Tim Hornyak, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of arch

Browse Nearby Words

swept (away)

swerve

swerved

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“Swerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerve. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of swerve

verb

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