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\ -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 \ -ˌnü-və-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē

, -ˌnyü- ; -ˌn(y)üv-rə- \ noun

maneuverable \ -ˈnü-və-rə-bəl

, -ˈnyü- ; -ˈn(y)üv-rə- \ adjective

maneuverer \ -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

Not only was the maneuver executed to a perfect degree, but authorities only had a fleeting window to get the job done. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Helicopter Pulls Off Improbable Rescue Mission in the French Alps," 10 Jan. 2019 For Bakh, the purchase was never a real estate maneuver, but rather about collecting a piece of work by a master. — Jenny Xie, Curbed, "‘Livable version’ of Philip Johnson’s Glass House hits the market," 13 Sep. 2018 The attempt to get Mr. da Silva released was a classic banana-republic maneuver. — Mary Anastasia O’grady, WSJ, "Rule of Law Wins Again in Brazil," 15 July 2018 The youth movement was an atypical maneuver for a club that has utilized its regulars in past Open Cup tournaments, a factor in lifting the trophy three times in the last six years. — Sam Mcdowell, kansascity, "With three teenagers in the lineup, Sporting KC cruises in U.S. Open Cup opener," 6 June 2018 This is a measured maneuver that seems to be designed to put pressure on the United States’ European allies to work harder to salvage the deal by raising the possibility of a post-deal future. — Jeet Heer, The New Republic, "Iran announces carefully calibrated nuclear move.," 5 June 2018 The involuntary bankruptcy filing by the Florida man, Gerald Tobin, was a rare and obscure legal maneuver that had the effect of freezing the arbitration proceedings with the former partner. — Maeve Reston, CNN, "Exclusive: How a 'nobody' ex-con pushed Avenatti law firm into bankruptcy," 1 June 2018 Issuing pardons related to the Russia probe is a risky maneuver because if Trump’s motivation is preventing people from sharing damaging information about him, that could constitute obstruction of justice. — Margaret Hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Why Trump Isn’t Pardoning Allies Caught in the Mueller Probe – Yet," 1 June 2018 This is a legal maneuver, legal people say, to force a federal arbiter to take up the lawsuit by Miami and Miami-Dade against former owner Jeffrey Loria to recoup some of the $1.2 billion sale of the team. — Dave Hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Hyde5: Marlins Man goes to Virgin Islands, finds (surprise!) no Marlins," 16 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Automatic rifles are designed to provide suppressive fire against enemy targets to allow friendly forces the ability to maneuver. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Army’s Next Infantry Guns Will Have Computerized Fire Control for Unreal Accuracy," 14 Feb. 2019 In short, in trying to cover up and maneuver for a pardon, Manafort and others may have committed even more crimes. — Murray Waas, Vox, "Exclusive: Paul Manafort advised White House on how to attack and discredit investigation of President Trump," 14 Dec. 2018 Authorities said Watson opened fire after the agent maneuvered around and began driving away. — Jim Mustian, The Seattle Times, "FBI: Brooklyn gang member charged in shooting of agent," 10 Dec. 2018 These principles were studied by Generals Rommel and Patton in World War II, and in fact form the basis of land warfare and air combat maneuvering to this day. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "An artist on creating the retro art for a new edition of Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers," 9 Dec. 2018 Over the weeks leading up to the 2018 NBA Draft, The Crossover has provided a unique look behind the scenes of the draft process—offering a glimpse at how agents advise their players and maneuver the pre-draft landscape. — Matt Babcock, SI.com, "The Dreams and Nightmares of Every Agent on NBA Draft Night," 18 June 2018 And the Pistons' cap situation is one of the worst in the league, with little room to maneuver in free agency. — Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, "How Anthony Tolliver improved shot; will he stay with Detroit Pistons?," 28 June 2018 Nordmann waved his arms to keep others away from Patterson so the jumper had room to maneuver. — David Woods, Indianapolis Star, "Plymouth high jumper Nate Patterson: First, Indiana; next, the world," 14 June 2018 Photos posted to social media showed so many long, black plastic bags that authorities were running out of room to maneuver in the operating room without standing on trash. — Alex Horton, BostonGlobe.com, "No one could save a pilot whale that swallowed 17 pounds of plastic bags off Thailand," 3 June 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

13 Mar 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