maneuver

1 of 2

noun

ma·​neu·​ver mə-ˈnü-vər 

-ˈnyü-

1

a

: a military or naval movement

b

: an armed forces training exercise

especially : an extended and large-scale training exercise involving military and naval units separately or in combination

—often used in plural

The army and navy conducted maneuvers as training for war.

2

: a procedure or method of working usually involving expert physical movement

acrobats performing dangerous maneuvers

3

a

: evasive movement or shift of tactics

permits no room for concession or maneuver

—Harry Schwartz

b

: an intended and controlled variation from a straight and level flight path in the operation of an airplane

The aircraft performed such maneuvers as spins, loops, and inverted flights.

4

a

: an action taken to gain a tactical end

this maneuver almost cost him the nomination

—H. L. Mencken

b

: an adroit and clever management of affairs often using trickery and deception

plaintiffs' pretrial maneuvers may be fashioned more with an eye to deterrence or retaliation than to unearthing germane material

—John Marshall

maneuver

2 of 2

verb

maneuvered; maneuvering mə-ˈnü-və-riŋ 

-ˈnyü-;

-ˈn(y)üv-riŋ

intransitive verb

1

a

: to perform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to secure an advantage

The regiment maneuvered for several days before it was ready to attack.

b

: to make a series of changes in direction and position for a specific purpose

Ships maneuvered into their docks.

2

: to use stratagems : scheme

maneuvered successfully to get him to ask her to the dance

transitive verb

1

: to cause to execute tactical movements

We maneuvered our troops to the south.

2

: to manage into or out of a position or condition : manipulate

maneuvered the cork out with his thumb

—Kay Boyle

3

a

: to guide with adroitness and design

maneuvered her guests until the talk at the table became general

—Jean Statford

b

: to bring about or secure as a result of skillful management

maneuvered out of the council the funds to renovate the library

maneuverability

mə-ˌnü-və-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

-ˌnyü-;

-ˌn(y)üv-rə-

noun

maneuverable

mə-ˈnü-və-rə-bəl 

-ˈnyü-;

-ˈn(y)üv-rə-

adjective

maneuverer

mə-ˈnü-vər-ər 

-ˈnyü-

noun

Synonyms

Verb

• address
• contend (with)
• cope (with)
• field
• grapple (with)
• hack
• handle
• manage
• manipulate
• negotiate
• play
• swing
• take
• treat

Choose the Right Synonym for maneuver

trick, ruse, stratagem, maneuver, artifice, wile, feint mean an indirect means to gain an end.

trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

Examples of maneuver in a Sentence

Noun

With a quick maneuver, she avoided an accident.

Through a series of legal maneuvers, the defense lawyer kept her client out of jail.

He led his troops in a well-planned maneuver.

To prepare for war, the army is performing maneuvers off the coast.

The army is on maneuvers.

Verb

She maneuvered her car into the tiny garage.

It took seven people to maneuver the tiger out of its cage.

We had a hard time maneuvering our furniture through the doorway.

The giant ships maneuvered into their docks.

The vehicle easily maneuvered through rocky terrain.

They held hands while maneuvering through the crowd.

The companies are maneuvering for position in the limited market.

Somehow, she always manages to maneuver herself out of difficult situations.

We maneuvered our troops to the south.

The opposing forces maneuvered quickly.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The final Senate tally was 19-14, though one senator changed his yes vote at the last minute to use a procedural maneuver to keep the legislation alive. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024

Democrats are considering quickly moving to dismiss or table the trial shortly after this process, a maneuver that would take 51 votes to pass. —Liz Goodwin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024

Across the United States, schools that specialize in performance driving offer courses that include instruction in open-wheel race cars, rally competition, winter drifting, evasive driving maneuvers, and even four-wheel-drive rock crawling. —Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, the series only rarely widens its scope beyond the Villiers’ maneuvers. —Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024

The non-slip handles give you control over every maneuver, and the blades also feature a non-stick coating along with a sap groove to keep them from sticking. —Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Apr. 2024

On Monday, a national electoral commission controlled by allies of Mr. Maduro used a technical maneuver to prevent the coalition from putting Ms. Yoris on the ballot. —Isayen Herrera, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024

Mario Tama—Getty Images That privatization maneuver is precisely what positioned the company to capitalize on the current AI boom. —Michal Lev-Ram, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024

There have been other maneuvers, too, like running a town hall with President Trump opposite one broadcast by ABC News featuring then-candidate Joe Biden. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Mar. 2024

Verb

During a training exercise in southern Ukraine in May 2023, a drone pilot maneuvered a flier to a height of 100 meters before dropping a dummy anti-tank grenade on to a pile of tires. —IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024

Early the next morning Tamela watched as Evelyn maneuvered past yelling antiabortion protesters and entered the clinic. —Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024

The pouty-lipped and strapping George — Galitzine is perfectly cast — stumbles at the beginning but then maneuvers his way into becoming the main lover of King James, a position held firmly by the duplicitous Earl of Somerset (Laurie Davidson). —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

This brush was particularly effective on grout and could be maneuvered into nooks and crannies easily. —Camryn Rabideau, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024

Ventilated disc brakes on all three wheels are tenacious and linear in their application, which is reassuring in a small, lightweight vehicle that maneuvers quickly. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024

The expert pilots who navigate massive ships in and out of Baltimore's port must often maneuver with just 2 feet (0.6 meter) of clearance from the channel floor and memorize charts, currents and every other possible maritime variable. —Nick Perry, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024

The roughly 100-foot towboat had been maneuvering a pair of barges. —Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024

Effortlessly maneuver this 33-footer in tight confines thanks to intuitive joystick control. —Jeff Hemmel, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French manœuvre, from Old French maneuvre work done by hand, from Medieval Latin manuopera, from manu operare to perform manual labor — more at manure

First Known Use

Noun

1759, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1777, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing maneuver

• Epley maneuver
• Heimlich maneuver
• room for maneuver
• Valsalva maneuver

Kids Definition

maneuver

1 of 2 noun

ma·​neu·​ver mə-ˈn(y)ü-vər 

1

a

: a planned movement of troops or ships

b

: a training exercise by armed forces

2

: a clever or skillful move or action

avoided an accident by a quick maneuver

maneuver

2 of 2 verb

maneuvered; maneuvering -ˈn(y)üv-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to move (as troops or ships) in a maneuver

2

: to perform a maneuver

3

: to manage skillfully

4

: to use trickery : scheme

maneuverability

-ˌn(y)üv-(ə-)rə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

maneuverable

-ˈn(y)üv-(ə-)rə-bəl 

adjective

Etymology

Noun

from French manœuvre "a military movement," from early French maneuvre "work done by hand," from Latin manuopera (same meaning), from earlier Latin manu operare "to perform manual labor," from manu, a form of manus "hand," and operare "to work" — related to manage, manual, manure, operate

Word Origin

Strange as it seems, we owe both maneuver and manure to the same French source. The medieval French verb manovrer, meaning "to work" or "to place with the hand," developed from manuoperare, literally, "to work by hand," in the spoken Latin of ancient Gaul. From meinourer, a variant of manovrer used in England, Middle English adopted maynouren or manouren, which had the senses "to take in hand, manage," and "to cultivate (land)." In the 1500s English derived from the latter sense the noun manure, "material that fertilizes land." In the 1700s English adopted maneuver from French manœuvrer (the descendant of medieval French manovrer) which in the intervening centuries had developed a new sense "to perform a movement in military tactics."

Medical Definition

maneuver

noun

ma·​neu·​ver

variants or chiefly British manoeuvre

mə-ˈn(y)ü-vər 

1

: a movement, procedure, or method performed to achieve a desired result and especially to restore a normal physiological state or to promote normal function

the simplest maneuver to actuate the normal eustachian tube is to swallow

—H. G. Armstrong

see heimlich maneuver, valsalva maneuver

2

: a manipulation to accomplish a change of position

specifically : rotational or other movement applied to a fetus within the uterus to alter its position and facilitate delivery see scanzoni maneuver