swerve

verb

ˈswərv How to pronounce swerve (audio)
swerved; swerving
Synonyms of swervenext

intransitive verb

: to turn aside abruptly from a straight line or course : deviate

transitive verb

: to cause to turn aside or deviate
swerve noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for swerve

swerve, veer, deviate, depart, digress, diverge 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

veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

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

Examples of swerve in a Sentence

He lost control of the car and swerved toward a tree. the car swerved sharply to avoid the squirrel in the road
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But with 1983’s Scarface, Pacino swerved away from his contemporaries toward the operatic, carving out a lane for himself as the guy who often goes big in ways that both thrill and confound. —Chris Stanton, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2024 Witnesses told police that vehicles had to swerve around the man, who was lying in the street. —Brooke Park, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Oct. 2024 According to the investigators’ account, their car began to swerve erratically on the ride home, prompting Ed to spritz Annabelle with holy water. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2024 The driver’s vehicle swerved to avoid a ladder on the freeway just north of Portola Parkway in Irvine. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for swerve 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English sweorfan to wipe, file away; akin to Old High German swerban to wipe off, Welsh chwerfu to whirl

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of swerve was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near swerve

Swertia

swerve

swerveless

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Swerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swerve. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

swerve

verb
ˈswərv How to pronounce swerve (audio)
swerved; swerving
: to turn aside suddenly from a straight line or course
swerve noun

More from Merriam-Webster on swerve

Nglish: Translation of swerve for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of swerve for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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