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
The balance of leading and caring at the same time can be difficult to navigate as a parent.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
To get there, the Norwegian explorers navigated the interminable snowfields of interior Antarctica, trudging through the harshest climates on earth for 56 days.
—Brad Japhe, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2025
The post resonated with many Mumsnet users and several commenters offered practical advice for how the woman should navigate her feelings.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Set in the early 20th-century Pacific Northwest, the film stars Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, a solitary railroad worker navigating profound personal loss as the American frontier expands around him.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for navigate
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Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
To get there, the Norwegian explorers navigated the interminable snowfields of interior Antarctica, trudging through the harshest climates on earth for 56 days.
—Brad Japhe, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2025
The post resonated with many Mumsnet users and several commenters offered practical advice for how the woman should navigate her feelings.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Set in the early 20th-century Pacific Northwest, the film stars Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, a solitary railroad worker navigating profound personal loss as the American frontier expands around him.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 24 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 26 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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