swerve

verb

swerved; swerving

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

: to cause to turn aside or deviate
swerve noun
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 The white, driverless Jaguar swerved to avoid the bigger car crossing the line and striking it. Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 But French’s latest twist unnecessarily swerves in the opposite direction. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 The semi, which was hauling milk, swerved to avoid the van that had turned into its path at the intersection, witness Nathaniel Jahn, a former marine, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 At the same time, the Fed doesn’t like to commit to specific rate moves much in advance; the economy has swerved so many times that officials prefer to keep their options open. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The ladder truck swerved but hit the rescue truck and then an embankment, leaving the driver of the ladder truck trapped for a short time, Feissner said. Pilar Arias, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 While the van was traveling through Fort Worth, several people called in to report a white van swerving in and out of traffic while driving at a high speed. Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Feb. 2024 Michael Folorunsho pulled one back for Verona with a long, swerving shot midway through the second half after teammate Milan Djuric missed a penalty kick, setting up a nervy finale for Roma. Andrew Dampf, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024 All the banging and bumping and swerving and curb jumping may have come at a cost, however. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swerve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Cite this Entry

“Swerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swerve. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

swerve

verb
swerved; swerving
: to turn aside suddenly from a straight line or course
swerve noun

More from Merriam-Webster on swerve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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