swerve

Use the word "swerve" when you move quickly to avoid hitting something. This is a good word to use when you are driving, running, or riding a bike. A person who swerves is moving forward but may also move sideways.

• A car approaching mine crossed into my lane, so I swerved onto the shoulder of the road.
• The police will pull you over if you are swerving all over the road. You have to stay in your lane.
• In the winter, it’s often necessary to swerve around large potholes in the road; otherwise, a driver might break something on the suspension system of the car.
• As Bill rode his bike down the trail, he tried to swerve around the frogs that were in his path, but he squished a few anyway.
• As she was skiing down a hill, Tanya tried to swerve around a another skier who had fallen over, but she ran into him anyway.
• Two planes almost collided in midair, but the smaller plane was able to swerve at the last minute.

He swerved onto the highway from the shoulder.

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This page was first published on May 22, 2012. It was updated on January 22, 2016.