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
Despite their magical abilities, Potter and his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger faced the same problems as regular pre-teens and teens navigating life in boarding school.
—JSTOR Daily, 12 Oct. 2025
Miller is navigating through the kinks, continuing to get acclimated with the taping of his wrist — something he’s been instructed to do — and working through the rust associated with not playing in an actual competitive game for nine months.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Visitors can expect to navigate cinematic projections, explore behind-the-scenes artwork from Toei’s archives, and engage with experiences that merge art and technology.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 11 Oct. 2025
Plus, the swivel head easily navigates corners, tight spaces, and stairs.
—Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for navigate
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JSTOR Daily, 12 Oct. 2025
Miller is navigating through the kinks, continuing to get acclimated with the taping of his wrist — something he’s been instructed to do — and working through the rust associated with not playing in an actual competitive game for nine months.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Visitors can expect to navigate cinematic projections, explore behind-the-scenes artwork from Toei’s archives, and engage with experiences that merge art and technology.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 11 Oct. 2025
Plus, the swivel head easily navigates corners, tight spaces, and stairs.
—Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for navigate
Cite this Entry
“Navigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/navigate. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
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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