1
as in manipulates
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently
maneuvered the conversation so as to avoid the touchy subject of her divorce
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in negotiates
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
successfully maneuvered a way to get him to ask her to the dance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of maneuvers
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Master maneuvers examiners score highest, such as properly changing lanes, parallel parking and three-point turns.
—Don Sweeney
april 28, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Nail artists don’t use actual watercolors, of course, but the technique required to create this look is not far from how a painter maneuvers their brush on a canvas.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 27 Apr. 2026
The correct grip could be the deciding factor in whether an astronaut correctly maneuvers a robotic arm or successfully performs a medical procedure.
—Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
But at these Olympics, they’ve been seen from above, as a drone operator — a former ski jumper himself — maneuvers a drone behind a skier at the moment of liftoff, high above the ground.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Laura is able to shove Cherry hard enough to pry Daniel away from her and lock her in the room, but Cherry jumps out of the balcony, sacrificing her ankle, and maneuvers herself back into the house.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
In the next part of the scene, Gabriel maneuvers the plane into a roll, forcing Ethan, who is still clinging to the seatbelt, to slam into the side of the plane.
—EW.com, 19 Aug. 2025
On an early June morning off the southeastern shore of Siargao, pro surfer Ikit Agudo skillfully maneuvers her board through the waves.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2024
Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
Crystal’s fluid staging, full of agile and vibrant design choices, smoothly maneuvers the action.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Master maneuvers examiners score highest, such as properly changing lanes, parallel parking and three-point turns.
—Don Sweeney
april 28, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Nail artists don’t use actual watercolors, of course, but the technique required to create this look is not far from how a painter maneuvers their brush on a canvas.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 27 Apr. 2026
The correct grip could be the deciding factor in whether an astronaut correctly maneuvers a robotic arm or successfully performs a medical procedure.
—Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
But at these Olympics, they’ve been seen from above, as a drone operator — a former ski jumper himself — maneuvers a drone behind a skier at the moment of liftoff, high above the ground.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Laura is able to shove Cherry hard enough to pry Daniel away from her and lock her in the room, but Cherry jumps out of the balcony, sacrificing her ankle, and maneuvers herself back into the house.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
In the next part of the scene, Gabriel maneuvers the plane into a roll, forcing Ethan, who is still clinging to the seatbelt, to slam into the side of the plane.
—EW.com, 19 Aug. 2025
On an early June morning off the southeastern shore of Siargao, pro surfer Ikit Agudo skillfully maneuvers her board through the waves.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2024
Noun
For example, Orion performed several other maneuvers shortly after launch that helped get it in the proper orbit for that to-the-moon maneuver.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maneuvers
Verb
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Okorie is the best driving guard in the class, a 6-1 jitterbug who manipulates defenders with a tight handle, sudden changes of speed, and an advanced feel for the game.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
16 June 2026
-
Facial massage manipulates big muscles in the face, such as the masseters, temporalis and platysma, as well as fascia.—
Lauren Finney Harden,
AJC.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
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What Senate Bill 3496 would create isn’t a one-time savings event but a durable, compounding mechanism for relief, a pipeline that expands every year as Medicare negotiates more drugs and Illinois extends those savings to everyone, not just seniors.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
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The State Department, which negotiates agreements for countries to accept third-country deportees from the US, has broadly defended the practice, according to The Associated Press.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Teams are targeting the champions down their right side, channelling more of their attacks onto that flank.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
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November saw the highest number of attacks yet in a single month, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project, and CNN’s analysis.—
Vasco Cotovio,
CNN Money,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The program addresses constipation, food allergies, GERD, acid reflux, gluten intolerance, IBS and broader microbiome support.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
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SpaceX founder Elon Musk addresses members of the media during a press conference announcing new developments of the Crew Dragon reusable spacecraft, at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California on October 10, 2019.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
11 June 2026
Verb
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An engineer plots a well’s falling output, fits a curve, and projects it forward.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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The same teenager who drafts op-eds to send to places like the Times plots his next battle attack.—
Liana Handler
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
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The hand gesture has been used by members of white supremacist movements since 2017 and originates from a series of conspiracy theories from the message board 4chan.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
15 June 2026
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Bodyweight exercises are movements that use your body's weight to resist gravity and build muscle.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
15 June 2026
Noun
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There are some other fun stats in there, including a ranking of the game's most popular stratagems.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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Moreover, Beijing views the constituent elements of a deeper détente, such as arms control negotiations, which Trump pursued in his first term, with suspicion, seeing in them the same stratagems that Washington successfully deployed against the Soviet Union to prevail in the Cold War.—
JONATHAN A. CZIN,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Maneuvers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maneuvers. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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