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View synonyms for veer

veer

1

[ veer ]

verb (used without object)

  1. to change direction or turn about or aside; shift, turn, or change from one course, position, inclination, etc., to another:

    The speaker kept veering from his main topic. The car veered off the road.

    Synonyms: diverge, swerve, deviate

  2. (of the wind)
    1. to change direction clockwise ( back 1def 31 ).
    2. Nautical. to shift to a direction more nearly astern ( haul def 8c ).


verb (used with object)

  1. to alter the direction or course of; turn.
  2. Nautical. to turn (a vessel) away from the wind; wear.

noun

  1. a change of direction, position, course, etc.:

    a sudden veer in a different direction.

veer

2

[ veer ]

verb (used with object)

, Nautical.
  1. to slacken or let out:

    to veer chain.

veer

1

/ vɪə /

verb

  1. tr; often foll by out or away nautical to slacken or pay out (cable or chain)


veer

2

/ vɪə /

verb

  1. to alter direction (of); swing around
  2. intr to change from one position, opinion, etc, to another
  3. intr
    1. (of the wind) to change direction clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern
    2. nautical to blow from a direction nearer the stern Compare haul
  4. nautical to steer (a vessel) off the wind

noun

  1. a change of course or direction

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Other Words From

  • veering·ly adverb

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Word History and Origins

Origin of veer1

First recorded in 1575–85, veer is from the Middle French word virer to turn

Origin of veer2

1425–75; late Middle English vere < Middle Dutch vieren to let out

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Word History and Origins

Origin of veer1

C16: from Dutch vieren, from Old High German fieren to give direction

Origin of veer2

C16: from Old French virer, probably of Celtic origin; compare Welsh gwyro to diverge

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Example Sentences

Almost immediately, my co-founder made it clear that my project management style was veering toward disaster.

From Quartz

The pandemic's effect on sleepEpstein has found that pandemic sleep habits have veered in two directions — better and worse — which have had an effect on naps.

Most notably, Miami-Dade County veered 22 points to the right in 2020 after drifting left in both 2012 and 2016.

The studied elegance of his “less-is-more” aesthetic keeps his film from veering into the manipulative territory that could easily undermine the cumulative emotional power it works so carefully to build.

So unless the sponsor really veers off course with the acquisition target, the investors are likely to go along with the acquisition.

From Digiday

Urban Outfitters has a track record of putting out products that veer into attention-grabbing, supposedly edgy territory.

“We were taught with Reefer Madness that it was a hard-core drug and we should veer away from it,” she says.

The woman allegedly decided to hit her brakes suddenly and veer toward an exit, losing Tirico.

And yet Cinco de Mayo can veer so, so quickly into Cinco de Weirdly Racist Douchebaggery.

It is also his tendency to occasionally veer off-script, as he did recently with his attacks on Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.

A moment later they were edging their way down the declivity of what once had been a railroad track, at last to veer.

If it should veer to the east before the second frame could be constructed the peril would be great.

It requires another head than mine to veer round so often (changer si souvent de systame).

In her preoccupation she let her fork veer away from her plate.

Jean Greb, seeing the peril, had chosen to climb above the steep portion on the west slope, rather than veer to the east.

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