swerve

[swurv]

verb (used without object)

swerved, swerving 

1. to turn aside abruptly in movement or direction; deviate suddenly from the straight or direct course.

verb (used with object)

swerved, swerving 

1. to cause to turn aside.

   Nothing could swerve him.

noun

1. an act of swerving; turning aside.

swerve

/ swɜːv /

verb

1. to turn or cause to turn aside, usually sharply or suddenly, from a course

2. (tr) to avoid (a person or event)

noun

1. the act, instance, or degree of swerving

Other Word Forms

• unswerved adjective
• unswerving adjective
• unswervingly adverb
• unswervingness noun
• swerver noun
• swervable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of swerve¹

1175–1225; Middle English swerven (v.); Old English sweorfan to rub, file; cognate with Dutch zwerven to rove, Old High German swerban, Old Norse sverfa to file, Gothic afswairban to wipe off

Word History and Origins

Origin of swerve¹

Old English sweorfan to scour; related to Old High German swerban to wipe off, Gothic afswairban to wipe off, Old Norse sverfa to file

Synonym Study

See deviate.

Example Sentences

Like the time Gabriel spends in Faith’s company, “The Predicament” is full of “sparks and kicks and swerves and percussions.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The minivan swerved to avoid it and the chase continued.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She described how her husband had tried to swerve out of the way, but trees were in the way.

Read more on BBC

Another person driving by saw the Waymo swerve and told Mission Local he thought the robotaxi was driving faster than he would expect a human would drive on a busy street.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan pushed back on the Federal Reserve’s quarter-point interest-rate cut this week, arguing that the risk of a slowing job market didn’t justify swerving away from the task of corralling inflation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• deflect 
• lurch 
• skid 
• stray 
• veer