maneuver

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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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 In March 2018, for example, Russia used a procedural maneuver to block then-U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein from addressing a formal meeting of the Security Council, the U.N.’s most powerful body, Gilmour said. — NBC News, "Past decade has seen human rights 'backlash,' U.N. official says," 30 Dec. 2019 In March 2018, for example, Russia used a procedural maneuver to block then-U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein from addressing a formal meeting of the Security Council, the U.N.’s most powerful body, Gilmour said. — Washington Post, "UN official: Past decade has seen human rights `backlash’," 27 Dec. 2019 Little tried to perform a special maneuver to stop Ward's car, but Ward stopped only momentarily, and the chase resumed, according to police. — Eliott C. Mclaughlin And Stella Chan, CNN, "California deputy on leave after violently removing carjacking victim from vehicle, sheriff says," 23 Dec. 2019 Buttigieg and Klobuchar pulled a similar maneuver, using a climate question to frame themselves as electable Midwesterners. — Adam Aton, Scientific American, "During Debate, Democratic Candidates Sidestep Climate Issues Like Coastal Retreat," 20 Dec. 2019 Menendez and Cruz had tried three times to bring up the resolution using a procedural maneuver that would allow approval on a voice vote, a way to avoid lengthy floor debate. — Matthew Daly, chicagotribune.com, "On its fourth try and after a social media boost from Kim Kardashian West, Senate backs measure affirming century-old Armenian genocide," 12 Dec. 2019 Moises Vasquez-Santiago and Benito Vasquez-Santiago each were held in jail for more than 700 days as material witnesses in the case, a maneuver that drew criticism from civil rights advocates and generated national and international headlines. — oregonlive, "Oregon court finds cops coerced confession in killing of mother of 6; overturns murder conviction," 4 Dec. 2019 The Fox broadcast also superimposed number markings and hash marks on the field, as well, a maneuver which got some mixed reviews. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "One of the shovelers at the Packers-Giants game was having a rough day, and what's with those Fox snow graphics?," 1 Dec. 2019 While JPMorgan bankers questioned the legality of such a maneuver given the terms of SoftBank’s commitment, the WeWork board’s fear of losing out on that sorely needed liquidity was perceived as tilting the balance further in SoftBank’s favor. — Fortune, "WeWork’s Legal Floodgates May Have Just Opened," 19 Nov. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb That could only help the confidence for St. Edward, which lost last year to Moeller in the state semifinals, and must maneuver a gantlet that continues Sunday vs. First Love Christian at the Scholastic Play By Play Classic in Euclid. — Matt Goul, cleveland, "See how St. Edward made its statement for No. 1 with 78-70 win vs. top-ranked St. Vincent-St. Mary," 5 Jan. 2020 What begins as a two-hander hero’s journey is a surprisingly intimate thriller, with the two soldiers maneuvering through trenches, crossing enemy lines, and witnessing the aftermath of battle up close. — Tyler Coates, Wired, "1917 Is a Movie That Feels Like a Videogame—in a Good Way," 3 Jan. 2020 After maneuvering into field-goal range on the opening drive, their kicked missed. — Bob Sansevere, Twin Cities, "Bob Sansevere: It wasn’t 222-0, but St. Thomas still routs St. Olaf," 2 Nov. 2019 The MTN Group Innovation Centre is a vibrant campus in the Johannesburg metropolitan area with hundreds of invisible hands gently maneuvering the silent but tremendous beast. — Wiza Jalakasi, Quartz Africa, "After years of rapid growth in Africa we’re about to enter the age of Mobile Money 2.0," 4 Oct. 2019 Crews closed down several lanes of Lake Shore Drive to maneuver a crane to pull the truck from the lake about 1:30 p.m., the Sun-Times reported. — Fox News, "Chicago salt truck slides on icy road into Lake Michigan, workers escaped," 12 Dec. 2019 The swim wasn't dangerous: Lecomte was able to maneuver around bigger pieces of debris and wore a snorkel, so there was little chance of him swallowing microplastic. — Sarah Lazarus, CNN, "Long-distance swimmer dives into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch," 11 Dec. 2019 For example, patients who have chest wall deformities may not be good candidates for minimally invasive surgery because there might not be enough space in the chest cavity to maneuver the instruments. — Mayo Clinic News Network, chicagotribune.com, "Mitral valve repair with minimally invasive heart surgery," 6 Dec. 2019 The regional bus, which was carrying 43 people and belonged to a private local company, veered off a winding road after the driver failed to maneuver a sharp turn and crashed at the bottom of a ravine, the Interior Ministry said. — BostonGlobe.com, "TUNIS, Tunisia — A bus plummeted off a hill in Tunisia on Sunday morning, killing 24 passengers who were on an excursion in the country’s north, government officials said.," 2 Dec. 2019

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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Last Updated

2 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Maneuver.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maneuver. Accessed 19 January 2020.

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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

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

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