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to carom

to carom

1 9.5
To bounce off something and move away at an angle
  • verb
  • /ˈkɛrəm/
  • US
translation icon : rebotar
  • You hit a pool ball, and it starts to carom off the sides of the table

Examples

  • And the better hitters could hit fly balls that cleared the entire field, only to carom off branches in the pines, pinballing to earth.

    Academic text (2007)
  • She bounces and caroms off the sides like a mad pinball.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Lets out a cry as they carom off the Cadillac.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The ball then caroms towards the stands, where a fan walking towards the exit gets taken out.

    Blog text (9)
  • Caroms off a table and bounces head over heels.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The ball caroms off the hardwood into the gutter. # JACK #

    Fiction book (2000)
  • "I don't believe those people," Gary said after tossing his lapboard across the office and watching it carom off the wall.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The light seemed to carom off the water into the bedroom windows, and she knew without asking that he'd had no waking, no pacing, no black dreams.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • As the player struck the cue ball, it started to carom off the side cushions and back towards the center of the table.

  • When the baseball hit the bat, it caromed off and flew high into the air.

Synonyms

to bounce
vsto carom
386 1.3

To move quickly away from a surface after hitting it, moving up and down in a springy way

is narrower, meaning a rebound that typically leaves at an angle
to bounce off
vsto carom
33 3.4

To hit a surface and move away from it

is the same action but usually implies an angled departure
to ricochet
vsto carom
25 7.7

To bounce off a surface at an angle after hitting it

occurs when something strikes and leaves the surface at an angle
to rebound
vsto carom
19 2.9

To spring back after hitting something

is used more for leaving at an angle than simple springing back
to bound
vsto carom
1 4.4

To hit a surface and bounce away

focuses more on leaving at an angle than a straight spring away

How Hard

to ricochet
25 7.7
to bounce
386 1.3
to carom
  • US
1 9.5
to tap
174 1.0

Surface Forms

carom infinitive
caromed past
caromed past participle
caroming present participle
caroms third person singular

Etymology

The verb carom comes from the billiards term carambole for a shot that bounces from one ball to another, so to carom is to 'bounce' or hit something and rebound off it, often at an angle.