swerve
Sudden course change
Swerve is a sudden turn or deviation from a straight path.
A car swerves to avoid an obstacle; a conversation swerves into unexpected territory.
To swerve is to make such a movement: The driver swerved at the last second.
In slang, to swerve someone is to dodge or avoid them, especially romantically: She swerved him hard.
Avoid by quick movement
duck · jink · feint · parry · outmaneuver · circumvent · bypass · escape
Change course suddenly
- deviateTurn from course
- divergeSeparate into directions
- driftGradual movement, no direction
- strayWander from course
detour · redirect · bend · curve · zigzag · meander · wander · shift
Change course suddenly
- steerDirect movement or castrated bull
- wheelRotating circular frame
- roadVehicle travel surface
- driverVehicle operator
vehicle · car · handlebars · lane · highway · traffic · oncoming · collision
Curved line segment
Sharp and unexpected
- joltAbrupt forceful shake
- lurchAbrupt unsteady movement
- startleFrighten suddenly
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
unanticipated · surprise · sharp · violent · emergency · instinctive · knee-jerk · whiplash
dodge
Avoid by quick movement
evade · duck · jink · feint · parry · outmaneuver · circumvent · bypass · escape · deflect
veer
Change course suddenly
stray · detour · redirect · bend · curve · zigzag · meander · wander · shift · change course
veer
Change course suddenly
driver · vehicle · car · handlebars · lane · highway · traffic · oncoming · collision · brake
arc
Curved line segment
snake · slalom · wind · twist · turn · sweep · swing · bank · pivot · cut
abrupt
Sharp and unexpected
unexpected · unanticipated · surprise · sharp · violent · emergency · instinctive · knee-jerk · whiplash · jarring
- avoidance wordsavoid, evade, dodge, sidestep, elude
- vehicle mishapscollision, crash, rollover, jackknife, skid
- emergency maneuversemergency landing, crash landing, forced landing, ditching, evasive action
- drivingdrive, steering, driver, acceleration, motorist
- driving safetyblind spot, braking, brake, signaling, merging
- motion changesacceleration, deceleration, speeding up, slowing down, speedup
swervego straight
Cease criminal activity
stay the course · straighten · straighten out · hold steady · unbend
swervestay the course
Continue despite difficulties
hold firm · stand firm · stay true · persist · commit
- body swerveLateral evasion using torso
unswerving, swerving, swerved, swerves, unswervingly, unswervingness