swerving

verb

present participle of swerve
1
as in veering
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course the car swerved sharply to avoid the squirrel in the road

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2
as in curving
to turn away from a straight line or course the bike path gently swerves to the right

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bending
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

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4
as in deviating
to change one's course or direction the hurricane had been following the coastline before it swerved and headed inland

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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 swerving The video then shows the vehicle, which is not marked, swerving left toward Parra’s path, in front of a truck stopped in a shopping center. — Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026 Witnesses said the woman had been standing on the shoulder and jumped to avoid being hit by a vehicle that was swerving to avoid debris and other vehicles in the road. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026 Police later spotted a vehicle matching the witness's description driving recklessly and swerving into oncoming traffic on Madison Street, according to the affidavit. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2026 Not long after, video footage showed the vehicle swerving erratically between lanes. — Jenny Jarvie follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Towards the end of the teaser (around 21 seconds), a black car is seen swerving around traffic. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026 Multiple witnesses told the deputy that the semi was intentionally swerving into the shoulder of the road to prevent a motorcycle from passing it. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 This will all play out in Spain’s baking east and south, with the race swerving some of its iconic Asturian ascent in this edition. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 As the caravan headed down 61st Street, the agent driving the CBP vehicle attempted to evade them by swerving into oncoming lanes of traffic, with Alvarez following closely behind, the plea agreement stated. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerving
  1. veering
  2. curving
  3. bending
  4. deviating
  5. arching
  6. turning
  7. hooking
Verb
  • Some are veering to the right by mirroring GOP positions, like transgender exclusion from school sports.
    — Dorian Rhea Debussy, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The hurricane appeared to be veering away from the dense refining region in southern Louisiana near New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of veering
Verb
  • The space seamlessly flows into a dining area and a custom kitchen outfitted with curving cabinetry, stainless steel shelving, Caesarstone countertops, a contoured island, and a breakfast nook.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Designed by Behar Font & Partners, the building’s curving silhouette and glass façade evoke the slender form of a tulip blossom.
    — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of curving
Verb
  • When the Americans failed to pressure Guijarro some 25 yards out, the Spanish captain ripped a bending effort that nestled in goalkeeper Claudia Dickey’s netting.
    — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026
  • With Pharrell Williams steering the production ship, the Athens, Georgia native wasted no time in seizing the opportunity to create his most cohesive, genre-bending body of work to date.
    — Mikey Fresh, VIBE.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bending
Verb
  • The complication shows the moon phases for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with a 135-tooth driving wheel that drastically enhances accuracy, deviating by just one day every 122 years.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026
  • But maybe a line between North and South Carolina, between Tennessee and Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi then deviating south to divide Louisiana and Arkansas.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of deviating
Verb
  • Terracotta tiles are at his feet; behind him is a gnarled pine tree, arching toward the sea.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Its initial trajectory after stage separation will put the spacecraft on the same course as previous flights, arching toward a reentry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of arching
Verb
  • The chaparral, meanwhile, burns hot, turning a small fire into an intense blaze.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • So turning the lights on and off repeatedly actually may not be in your best interest.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of turning
Verb
  • Ecobee says that just hooking this unit up can deliver up to 26% per year reductions on heating and cooling costs, which will pay for itself quickly.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • First, don’t rely on the industry to protect youth when its business model depends on hooking new customers and keeping them using their product.
    — Susan Morrisey, STAT, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of hooking

Browse Nearby Words

swerves
swerving
swift
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Cite this Entry

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

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