1
: an underwater blade that is positioned at the stern of a boat or ship and controlled by its helm and that when turned causes the vessel's head to turn in the same direction
2
: a movable auxiliary airfoil on an airplane usually attached at the rear end that serves to control direction of flight in the horizontal plane see airplane illustration
3
: a guiding force or strategy
Examples of rudder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Thankfully for Waddington, the pilot whales left his rudders intact.
—
Naomi Schanen, Washington Post, 11 July 2024
Modern aircraft often have yaw dampers, which are automatic control systems that use small rudder movements to actively suppress Dutch roll.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2024
Earlier versions of the 737 were involved in several accidents and crashes during the 1990s that were ultimately blamed on problems with the tail rudder.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 13 June 2024
Beneath the boat, Gladis Black rotates into a vertical position, and presses and rubs the pointed black tip of his face against the rudder.
—Tomas Weber, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for rudder 
Naomi Schanen, Washington Post, 11 July 2024
Modern aircraft often have yaw dampers, which are automatic control systems that use small rudder movements to actively suppress Dutch roll.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2024
Earlier versions of the 737 were involved in several accidents and crashes during the 1990s that were ultimately blamed on problems with the tail rudder.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 13 June 2024
Beneath the boat, Gladis Black rotates into a vertical position, and presses and rubs the pointed black tip of his face against the rudder.
—Tomas Weber, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for rudder
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rudder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rudder
Cite this Entry
“Rudder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rudder. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rudder
noun
rud·der
ˈrəd-ər 
: a flat movable piece (as of wood or metal) attached to the rear of a ship or aircraft for steering
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