to swerve
Third Person
swerves
Present Participle
swerving
Past Tense
swerved
Past Participle
swerved
1
to change direction suddenly, often to avoid something or someone in the way
- The driver had to swerve suddenly to avoid hitting a deer that unexpectedly crossed the road.
- The cyclist skillfully swerved to the left to navigate around a pothole in the bike lane.
- The quick-thinking skateboarder had to swerve to avoid colliding with a pedestrian.
- Riding through a mountain road, the motorcyclist had to swerve several times to navigate the curves safely.
- The skier swerved expertly to avoid a collision with another skier.
2
to turn something aside or cause it to deviate from its original path or direction
transitive
- The air traffic controller instructed the pilot to swerve the plane to the right to avoid potential turbulence.
- The co-driver effectively communicated to the driver when to swerve the rally car.
- The driver swerved the vehicle to avoid a large pothole on the road.
- The operator skillfully swerved the remote-controlled car around obstacles.
- The ski instructor taught beginners how to swerve their skis to control speed.
Synonyms:
3
to deliberately avoid someone or something, often in a social context
- If I see that guy at the party, I'm just going to swerve him.
- She swerved all the drama and left quietly.
- I tried to talk to him, but he swerved me like I wasn't even there.
- He's always swerving anyone who asks for favors.
- Don't take it personally if she swerves your texts; she's busy.