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
Like his classmates, Al-Hassan had to navigate the challenges of online education amid a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
—Kareem El Damanhoury, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
Focussed primarily on animals such as ants, birds, and mice, this discovery could help robots navigate areas where the traditional Global Positioning System (GPS) struggles.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 15 Nov. 2025
Not everyone lost their homes entirely, but many are navigating a long and confusing recovery.
—Olivianna Calmes, FOXNews.com, 15 Nov. 2025
Sometimes there’s a lesson to learn at the end of being spirited away – at least that’s the case for two Japanese teenagers who find themselves navigating the realms between life and death.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for navigate
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Kareem El Damanhoury, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
Focussed primarily on animals such as ants, birds, and mice, this discovery could help robots navigate areas where the traditional Global Positioning System (GPS) struggles.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 15 Nov. 2025
Not everyone lost their homes entirely, but many are navigating a long and confusing recovery.
—Olivianna Calmes, FOXNews.com, 15 Nov. 2025
Sometimes there’s a lesson to learn at the end of being spirited away – at least that’s the case for two Japanese teenagers who find themselves navigating the realms between life and death.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 15 Nov. 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 16 Nov. 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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