maneuver

noun

ma·neu·ver | \ mə-ˈnü-vər

, -ˈnyü-\

Definition of maneuver

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

3a : 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.

4a : 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

verb

maneuvered; maneuvering\ mə-ˈnü-və-riŋ

, -ˈnyü- ; -ˈn(y)üv-riŋ \

Definition of maneuver (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : 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

3a : 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

Other Words from maneuver Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about maneuver

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Other Words from maneuver

Verb

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

Choose the Right Synonym for maneuver

Noun

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 decades-old practice known as tax-loss harvesting, or strategically taking investment losses to offset income, is a perfectly legal maneuver that doesn’t so much dodge taxes as defer them. — Asjylyn Loder, WSJ, "Beware the Bold Claims of Tax-Loss Harvesting," 13 Apr. 2019 The suspension of these payments is the most recent maneuver by the Trump administration to undercut the health-care law that President Trump has vowed since his campaign to demolish. — Amy Goldstein, Washington Post, "Trump administration takes another major swipe at the Affordable Care Act," 7 July 2018 Refueling, a complex and dangerous maneuver, spread to fighters and other military aircraft, too. — Jon Talton, The Seattle Times, "Boeing’s other problem: Much-needed Air Force tanker keeps hitting snafus," 12 Apr. 2019 Frontal assaults, flanking maneuvers, and ambushes—these were the simple tactics employed in pitched battles from the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC continuing through the time of the Roman Empire, into the Middle Ages, and beyond. — William Gurstelle, Popular Mechanics, "How to Storm a Castle," 11 Apr. 2019 An Amazon deliveryman maneuvers small, rural lanes on his motorcycle. — Eric Bellman, WSJ, "Amazon, to Win in Booming Rural India, Reinvents Itself," 31 Dec. 2018 So in October and November of 2015, before NASA had even officially approved of New Horizons’ new mission, the team operating the spacecraft did a few course correction maneuvers, putting the vehicle on track to meet up with Ultima Thule. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "On New Year’s Day, a spacecraft will zoom by the most distant object humanity has ever visited," 27 Dec. 2018 Matthew Heimbach tried the same maneuver in Pikeville, Kentucky, in 2017, only to encounter stiff resistance from locals. — Sarah Jones, The New Republic, "Whose Appalachia Is It, Anyway?," 8 May 2018 Late night the spacecraft’s moon-capture maneuver caught these stunning photos of the far side of the moon. — Paige Szmodis, Popular Mechanics, "SpaceIL Spacecraft Snaps Stunning Images of the Far Side of the Moon," 6 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Kati, 32, from Columbia, Maryland, strategically maneuvered her career based on insurance coverage. — Minhae Shim Roth, Glamour, "Would You Take a Job Just for the Fertility Insurance?," 24 Apr. 2019 According to the Washington Post’s Robert Costa, factions supporting various alternatives to Kavanaugh were already maneuvering last week to press for their picks. — Dara Lind, Vox, "If Republicans sour on Kavanaugh, here are 4 alternatives waiting in the wings," 27 Sep. 2018 There is also a boat with a burlap sail that children could maneuver, a departure from other playgrounds that had no adjustable elements. — Alexandra Lange, Curbed, "How not to cheat children: Let them build their own playgrounds," 18 July 2018 Instead, Hunter maneuvered from behind him to strip the ball from the side to put Houston in transition. — J. Michael, Indianapolis Star, "Evaluating 4 key performances for Pacers in Las Vegas summer league opening loss," 6 July 2018 The collection of high picks (and 12 overall) provides so much ammunition for maneuvering, if not just simply hitting on the choices. — Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, "Browns GM John Dorsey may be holding royal flush as NFL's version of poker begins," 1 Mar. 2018 That’s a whole lot easier to manage than building structures out of thin air or maneuvering an environment for 20 minutes without seeing a single opponent. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "Black Ops 4 merges Fortnite and PUBG into the best Call of Duty in years," 19 Oct. 2018 Storylines of the episodic half hour will focus on the entrepreneurial girls' ventures and friendships, maneuvering the launch and success of their business while staving off competition and overcoming various growing pains along the way. — Maggie Gordon, Houston Chronicle, "Baby-Sitters Club is coming back to TV," 23 May 2018 As City Hall begins maneuvering the evolving world of cannabis regulations, public events where the product is sold and consumed have become a new issue. — Ryan Lillis, sacbee, "This 'farmer's market' wasn't your normal kale stand. Now the city wants to shut it down | The Sacramento Bee," 19 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maneuver.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near maneuver

Statistics for maneuver

Last Updated

22 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for maneuver

The first known use of maneuver was in 1759

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More Definitions for maneuver

maneuver

noun

English Language Learners Definition of maneuver

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a clever or skillful action or movement

: a planned movement of soldiers or ships

: military activities that are done for training

maneuver

verb

English Language Learners Definition of maneuver (Entry 2 of 2)

: to move (something or someone) in a careful and usually skillful way

: to do something in an effort to get an advantage, get out of a difficult situation, etc.

: to move (soldiers, ships, etc.) where they are needed for battle

See the full definition for maneuver in the English Language Learners Dictionary

maneuver

noun

ma·neu·ver | \ mə-ˈnü-vər

, -ˈnyü-\

Kids Definition of maneuver

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : skillful action or management The driver avoided an accident by a quick maneuver.

2 : a training exercise by armed forces

3 : a planned movement of troops or ships

maneuver

verb

maneuvered; maneuvering

Kids Definition of maneuver (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to guide skillfully Our captain maneuvered the boat safely into the harbor.

2 : to move troops or ships where they are needed

Other Words from maneuver

maneuverability \ mə-ˌnü-və-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē , -ˌnyü- \ noun

maneuverable \ -ˈnü-və-rə-bəl , -ˈnyü- \ adjective

maneuver

noun

ma·neu·ver

variants: or chiefly British manoeuvre \ mə-ˈn(y)ü-vər

Medical Definition of maneuver

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