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
Taking the helm of her father’s Awami League, Hasina embarked on a long journey through the political wilderness, navigating house arrests and crackdowns amid a growing rivalry with Zia.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025
At the same time, Lennon and Ono were navigating a post-Beatles identity crisis and watching the idealism of the '60s collide with the harsher realities of the Nixon era, including the administration’s efforts to deport them.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
The same reinforcement-learning techniques that teach a car to overtake at 185 mph can help drones navigate cities or factory robots coordinate in real time.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 21 Nov. 2025
Swift has described the song as a meditation on fame, scrutiny and the precariousness of love, themes she's often navigated in her own career.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for navigate
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Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025
At the same time, Lennon and Ono were navigating a post-Beatles identity crisis and watching the idealism of the '60s collide with the harsher realities of the Nixon era, including the administration’s efforts to deport them.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
The same reinforcement-learning techniques that teach a car to overtake at 185 mph can help drones navigate cities or factory robots coordinate in real time.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 21 Nov. 2025
Swift has described the song as a meditation on fame, scrutiny and the precariousness of love, themes she's often navigated in her own career.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 21 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 23 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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