1
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swerve
If one swerves, the other should race; but if one switches to racing, the other should swerve.
—
Boris Babic, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
He was accused of driving recklessly — speeding and passing in a no-passing zone — when a motorist swerved to avoid Lacy and crashed into another vehicle.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026
According to DiMartino, initial investigations indicate that the motorcyclist lost control of his bike while trying to navigate a curve in the road, swerving off the street and into a fatal collision with a light pole.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 Dec. 2025
Photograph by Larry Salzman / AP Nelson kept swerving.
—Alex Abramovich, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swerve
Verb
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After the shots, the SUV veered into two parked cars.—
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One senior official who has participated in the calls told us that the intensity and urgency often veer into hectoring.—
Verb
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The 25-year-old’s redemption arc continued to curve at Newcastle United on Wednesday night.—
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At first glance, the choker reprises the incisions and delicately curving edges meant to evoke Chanel’s distinctive quilting, with a sliding clasp closure to adjust it closely to the neck.—
Verb
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Ole Miss chips away Canes defense again bends but doesn’t break.—
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Issues arise when engineers look to develop materials that adapt easily, and can then bend back into their original shape.—
Verb
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The resolution would authorize the state to redraw its congressional district maps in the middle of the 10-year cycle, deviating from the current practice of redistricting only after the federal census every 10 years.—
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So don’t expect Bowden to deviate from his roster-building plan now, even though USC might have immediate needs at several spots, such as defensive line, linebacker, the secondary and receiver.—
Verb
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Max is still in the water with the errant Jet Ski, which must be hooked to the crane.—
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To cut energy costs and provide plants with the perfect amount of light, hook your grow lights up to a basic automatic timer.—
Verb
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Researchers in Germany are set to turn green waste, hay and algae into fully biodegradable plastics.—
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Together, these trends have turned industrial space into a cornerstone of national logistics and digital capacity.—
Verb
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Long, arched hallways lead to the guest rooms, restaurants, castle-like lounge spaces, and even an ancient cloister from the former monastery.—
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Keep your core tight and avoid arching your back.—
Verb
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At the end of Monday's live Atlas demonstration, the humanoid prototype swung its arms in a theatrical gesture to introduce a static model of the new product version of Atlas, which looked slightly different and was blue in color.—
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The Chiefs’ special teams also never swung the field with a return for a touchdown.—
Cite this Entry
“Swerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swerve. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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