Synonyms of navigate

navigate

verb

ˈna-və-ˌgāt 

1

as in to steer

to operate or control the course of

the hours of training that are required before a student pilot is allowed to navigate an airplane solo

Synonyms & Similar Words

• steer
• pilot
• helm
• hijack
• conn
• commandeer

2

as in to sail

to travel on water in a vessel

the months that were once required to navigate around South America in the days before the Panama Canal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sail
• boat
• voyage
• ship (out)
• ferry
• cruise
• take ship
• make sail
• yacht
• coast
• kayak
• canoe

3

as in to traverse

to make one's way through, across, or over

it will take some effort to navigate that stretch of hills, but we can do it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• traverse
• cross
• follow
• walk
• travel
• track
• cover
• pass (over)
• course
• transit
• cut (across)
• go
• proceed (along)
• ride
• hike
• perambulate
• peregrinate
• tread
• traipse
• run
• tramp
• crisscross

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of navigate

Those aren’t the only rooms Prosenjak has learned to navigate. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026

The notion is that children are both uniquely vulnerable to trafficking or other mistreatment and incapable of navigating their way through the byzantine immigration system without legal help. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026

More universities should instruct students on how to navigate email communication. — Austin Sarat, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026

For someone who cannot comfortably use a traditional mouse or touchscreen, the ability to navigate a phone or computer with subtle mouth movements could provide another route to independence. — Jesse Watson , Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026