maneuver

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 Stafford

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 of maneuver

• manipulate
• handle
• manage
• address
• negotiate
• take
• treat

Examples of maneuver in a Sentence

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

By strategically maneuvering Bowers, Kubiak can put more pressure on opposing defenses, causing mistakes and creating mismatches. —Sam Warren, New York Times, 2 June 2026

What separates a true hypersonic weapon from a conventional ballistic missile is its ability to maneuver unpredictably while traveling at extreme velocity. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 31 May 2026

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the UAE are all maneuvering for influence, with Abu Dhabi the latest entrant. —Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 28 May 2026

Most prey animals evolved to fight, flee or maneuver effectively on land. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing maneuver

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

Rhymes for maneuver

• improver
• remover
• louver
• mover

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

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