steer

verb

steered; steering; steers

transitive verb

1

: to control the course of : direct

especially : to guide by mechanical means (such as a rudder)

2

: to set and hold to (a course)

intransitive verb

1

: to direct the course (as of a ship or automobile)

2

: to pursue a course of action

3

: to be subject to steering

the car steers well

steerable

ˈstir-ə-bəl 

adjective

steerer noun

see also:

steer clear

Synonyms of steer

• guide
• lead
• accompany

Choose the Right Synonym for steer

guide, lead, steer, pilot, engineer mean to direct in a course or show the way to be followed.

guide implies intimate knowledge of the way and of all its difficulties and dangers.

guided the scouts through the cave

lead implies showing the way and often keeping those that follow under control and in order.

led his team to victory

steer implies an ability to keep to a course and stresses the capacity of maneuvering correctly.

steered the ship through a narrow channel

pilot suggests guidance over a dangerous or complicated course.

piloted the bill through the Senate

engineer implies finding ways to avoid or overcome difficulties in achieving an end or carrying out a plan.

engineered his son's election to the governorship

Examples of steer in a Sentence

She steered the ship through the strait.

He steered his car carefully into the parking space.

He steered the wheelchair through the aisles.

Skillful navigators can steer by the positions of the stars.

The car was steering right at us.

The boat steered out to sea.

He tried to steer the conversation away from his recent problems.

She skillfully steered the bill through the legislature.

He steered the team to another championship last year.

The high recent returns on stocks have steered many investors away from bonds.

Recent Examples on the Web

The European film commissioners tried to steer them away from casting a handsome actor as the lead in The Man Who Sold His Skin, Cheikhrouha said. —Jada Yuan, HollywoodReporter, 7 June 2026

Even aviation insiders like Dean Rotchin, founder of Blackjet, steer clear of the galley brew. —Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 7 June 2026

To this end, the team decided to set out to find a path to steer the plastic breakdown process towards the exact molecules wanted. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 6 June 2026

Proving that less is more, Pelley’s words were accompanied by a clearly happy photo of the former long long time CBS News correspondent steering a boat on the seas. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English steren, from Old English stīeran; akin to Old English stēor- steering oar, Greek stauros stake, cross, stylos pillar, Sanskrit sthavira, sthūra stout, thick

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing steer

• steer clear
• steer (someone) wrong

Rhymes for steer

• beer
• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• deer
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear

Kids Definition

steer

1 of 2 noun

ˈsti(ə)r 

1

: a male domestic ox castrated before sexual maturity and especially one raised for beef

2

: an ox less than four years old

steer

2 of 2 verb

1

: to direct the course or the course of : guide

steer by the stars

steer a boat

steer a conversation

2

: to follow a course of action

3

: to be guided

an automobile that steers well

steerable

ˈstir-ə-bəl 

adjective

steerer

ˈstir-ər

noun

Legal Definition

steer

transitive verb

: to subject to steering

real estate agents steering Latino buyers