navigate
verb
nav·i·gate
ˈna-və-ˌgāt 
navigated; navigating
1
: to travel by water : sail
navigated down to the mouth of the river
2
: to steer a course through a medium
specifically
: to operate an airplane
navigate by instrument
3
: get around, move
was well enough to navigate under his own power
1
a
: to sail over, on, or through
able to navigate the deep ocean waters
b
: to make one's way over or through : traverse
… navigate the Internet via hypertext links connecting information-rich computers around the world.—
Stephanie Losee
Stephanie Losee2
a
: to steer or manage (a boat) in sailing
b
: to operate or control the course of
navigate an airplane
Examples of navigate in a Sentence
For thousands of years, sailors navigated by the stars.
How about if you drive and I navigate?
I'd need a map to navigate the city.
Only flat-bottomed boats can safely navigate the canal.
He has learned to navigate in rough waters.
The downtown area is easily navigated on foot.
She has trouble navigating the stairs with her crutches.
It took us 10 minutes to navigate through the parking lot to the exit.
The captain navigated the ship.
He has had experience navigating airplanes through storms.
Recent Examples on the Web
JSerra navigated a difficult regular-season schedule, then avoided upsets in the playoffs.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
That deep connection to the ocean goes back to the ancient Polynesians, who were the world’s first watermen, using their intimate knowledge of the ocean to navigate the Pacific, discovering Hawaii thousands of years ago.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
The department also operates Brinc Lemur S units for indoor tactical situations and the autonomous DJI Box 3 with Matrice 4TD — a drone-in-a-box platform that is programmed to launch, navigate and return to base entirely on its own.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
But beyond the obvious challenge of facing off against the best global soccer has to offer, teams will also have to navigate a series of hurdles that stretch far beyond the field of play.
—Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for navigate
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
That deep connection to the ocean goes back to the ancient Polynesians, who were the world’s first watermen, using their intimate knowledge of the ocean to navigate the Pacific, discovering Hawaii thousands of years ago.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
The department also operates Brinc Lemur S units for indoor tactical situations and the autonomous DJI Box 3 with Matrice 4TD — a drone-in-a-box platform that is programmed to launch, navigate and return to base entirely on its own.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
But beyond the obvious challenge of facing off against the best global soccer has to offer, teams will also have to navigate a series of hurdles that stretch far beyond the field of play.
—Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for navigate
Cite this Entry
“Navigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/navigate. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
navigate
verb
nav·i·gate
ˈnav-ə-ˌgāt
navigated; navigating
1
a
: to travel by water
b
: to sail over, on, or through
navigate the Atlantic Ocean
2
a
: to direct one's course in a ship or aircraft
b
: to control the course of : steer
3
: to make one's way about, over, or through
navigate the new website
navigate the school's halls
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