SWERVING Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

swerving

verb

present participle of swerve

as in veering

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straightening

as in curving

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straightening

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deviating

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 drums are constantly switching, the gait galloping one way and then swerving back again, as if the music could go anywhere. — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerving

Verb

The video captures the brakes being applied and the car veering left to attempt to swerve around the pedestrian, CHP said.

— Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Video of the Woodland incident shows a black SUV braking and veering left before a person near the front of the vehicle tumbled to the pavement, as observers blew whistles to warn of approaching agents, according to footage.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of veering

Verb

Layers of pencil have been transformed into plywood in curving and minimalist forms.

— Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 23 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 curving

Verb

Patients reported easier walking, climbing stairs and bending, while overall quality-of-life scores more than doubled over the 12-month follow-up period.

— Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Trump even threatened that election officials could be jailed for not bending to his will.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 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

Video shows the single-engine plane careening into an overpass arching atop the expressway.

— Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 20 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 arching

Verb

America must become better at turning breakthrough ideas into products the world can afford.

— Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
On October 24, 2006, Taylor Swift was released—the debut album by a 16-year-old with blonde curls, cowboy boots, and a special talent for turning heartbreak into hits.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 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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Style

“Swerving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerving. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of swerving

verb

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