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
Airspace restrictions have become an increasingly common challenge for airlines navigating a world shaped by geopolitical conflict.
—Zach Levitt, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The board made the decision after roughly seven hours of deliberations spanning two days, the latest dramatic turn for the nation’s second-largest school district, which has been navigating budget reductions and labor negotiations even before this week’s federal action.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
While immigration law is federally based, state and local courts play a critical role in protecting constitutional rights for people navigating complex systems.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
However, that kind of financially freewheeling behavior has placed the Dolphins in their present cap hell, dwelling in an accounting mess the franchise will spend the next season pinching pennies for, forced to navigate their way out of.
—Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for navigate
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Zach Levitt, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The board made the decision after roughly seven hours of deliberations spanning two days, the latest dramatic turn for the nation’s second-largest school district, which has been navigating budget reductions and labor negotiations even before this week’s federal action.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
While immigration law is federally based, state and local courts play a critical role in protecting constitutional rights for people navigating complex systems.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
However, that kind of financially freewheeling behavior has placed the Dolphins in their present cap hell, dwelling in an accounting mess the franchise will spend the next season pinching pennies for, forced to navigate their way out of.
—Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 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 14 Mar. 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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