navigate

verb

Save Word

nav·i·gate | \ ˈna-və-ˌgāt

navigated; navigating

Definition of navigate

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

1a : 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

2a : to steer or manage (a boat) in sailing

b : to operate or control the course of navigate an airplane

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about navigate

Keep scrolling for more

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 So the employee is in the deeply unfair position of having to navigate both a faux family relationship and a job where basic labor rights can be granted or withdrawn on the whim of an unreliable manager. — Sarah Todd, Quartz at Work, "“Parasite” nails the inherent inequality of hiring household help," 20 Dec. 2019 But for some, navigating the nuances is still a challenge. — Hannah Sampson, Houston Chronicle, "The demise of formal nights on cruises: How dress codes are tearing passengers apart," 20 Dec. 2019 But while the magnitude of the task has little precedent, this is not the first time that Mr. Calhoun, who has longstanding ties to the aviation industry, has had to navigate a period of corporate turmoil. — David Yaffe-bellany, New York Times, "Boeing Taps David Calhoun as C.E.O. to Stem 737 Max Crisis," 23 Dec. 2019 The new film, directed by J.J. Abrams, had to navigate tricky waters, pleasing legions of Star Wars fans while also delivering a conclusion to the current trilogy of pictures. — Fortune, "Newest Star Wars Film Produces Another Box Office Hit for Disney," 23 Dec. 2019 Tavares, known as a hard-nosed cost-cutter, will also have to navigate the political crosscurrents in France, Italy and the U.S., where the automakers have deep national roots. — Tommaso Ebhardt, Time, "Fiat Chrysler and France's Peugeot Agree to $46 Billion Merger, Creating World's 4th Largest Carmaker," 18 Dec. 2019 Finley noted the rain and snow voters had to navigate getting to the polls. — Lee Roop | Lroop@al.com, al, "Huntsville voters back public schools with property tax vote," 11 Dec. 2019 Tisherman had to navigate training his colleagues on an experimental and dramatic technique while trying to get official institutional permission to study it at all. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "Doctors Place Humans in True Suspended Animation for First Time," 20 Nov. 2019 Children’s advocacy centers combine and coordinate all the many components of the medical and criminal justice system to ensure children don’t have to navigate them on their own. — oregonlive, "Oregon advocate concerned and heartened by rising child sexual abuse ER visits," 7 Nov. 2019

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about navigate

Dictionary Entries near navigate

Statistics for navigate

Last Updated

11 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Navigate.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/navigate. Accessed 20 January 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for navigate

navigate

verb