maneuver
Americannoun
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a planned and regulated movement or evolution of troops, warships, etc.
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maneuvers, a series of tactical exercises usually carried out in the field by large bodies of troops in simulating the conditions of war.
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an act or instance of changing the direction of a moving ship, vehicle, etc., as required.
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an adroit move, skillful proceeding, etc., especially as characterized by craftiness; ploy.
political maneuvers.
verb (used with object)
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to change the position of (troops, ships, etc.) by a maneuver.
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to bring, put, drive, or make by maneuvers.
He maneuvered his way into the confidence of the enemy.
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to manipulate or manage with skill or adroitness.
to maneuver a conversation.
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to steer in various directions as required.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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maneuversimple
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maneuverssimple
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have maneuveredperfect
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has maneuveredperfect
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am maneuveringprogressive
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are maneuveringprogressive
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is maneuveringprogressive
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have been maneuveringperfect progressive
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has been maneuveringperfect progressive
Past
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maneuveredsimple
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had maneuveredperfect
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was maneuveringprogressive
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were maneuveringprogressive
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had been maneuveringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of maneuver
First recorded in 1470–80 for an earlier sense; 1750–60 for current noun sense; from French manoeuvre, Middle French manuevre “handwork,” derivative of Old French manuvrer, from Latin manū operāre “to do handwork,” equivalent to manū (ablative of manus “hand”) + operāre “to work” ( see operate); replacing earlier maanorre “manual labor,” Middle French, as above
Explanation
You maneuver your way through a crowd, a bureaucracy, traffic, or traffic cones. You can maneuver a car or a piece of machinery. Army maneuvers are highly coordinated movements of troops, supplies and machinery. If you're wondering if the opposite of maneuver is woman-euver, wonder no further. It isn't. Although maneuvering often involves a man on the move, the man- comes from the Latin manus meaning "hand." Maneuver reached English via the French manœuvre meaning "tactical movement" — an interesting maneuver in its own right.
Vocabulary lists containing maneuver
The Hate U Give
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"Rogue Wave," Vocabulary from the short story
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Touching Spirit Bear
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Anduril said “Thunder is urgently needed today” and “brings the combination of capabilities necessary to achieve maneuver dominance on the modern battlefield.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Iran has adapted to U.S. defenses, firing missiles that travel at extremely high speeds and can maneuver as they streak toward the earth, The Wall Street Journal has previously reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
She said that the Navy precision-flyer was shaken up by a clearly dangerous maneuver that he made in error.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
The 36th Division’s maneuver was one of the IDF’s most complex ground operations in recent years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
It was an awkward maneuver, with lots of grunting, and Pong nearly pulled Somkit over the side.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Any benefits to the equity market due to Fed policy maneuvers have been purely ancillary, Sosnick said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
Communities across Southern California have been grappling with a proliferation of young riders on electric bikes and motorcycles on city streets, engaging in dangerous maneuvers and, sometimes, engaging police in chases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Here, Madonna is liberated from Universal’s script notes or editing maneuvers, free from tweaking anyone’s performance to feel more like the real thing.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
The mission attempting unprecedented maneuvers has a projected cost of $30 million to save the device, which originally cost $250 million.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
It was not easy to crawl down the cargo net so loaded, but Ishmael had been able to practice on maneuvers and had taught himself to relax.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
On a rainy day in December, Ayala maneuvered his truck one final time through Mount Washington’s narrow streets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
As the head of Japan’s Kwantung army in Manchuria, he flouted orders from Tokyo and maneuvered the government into an aggressive foreign policy that culminated in all-out war with China in 1937.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
That means she recently crossed into her 50s, although when CBS’ Miller asked the glamorous Muppet to confirm that, she creatively maneuvered her interviewer into agreeing that both are 25.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
Justice Department officials maneuvered to ensure that the court would take up the question as quickly as possible, evidently hoping to notch a win.
From Slate ● Feb. 10, 2026
There were old houses that had been standing there when Washington maneuvered his troops across Long Island.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Orcel’s maneuvering to take control has contributed to the sparring between the two banks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
The Elon Musk-led company has combined its ability to pump out satellites and quickly launch rockets with savvy maneuvering of the Pentagon to secure high-value deals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
Closing arguments centered heavily on Altman's integrity and behind-the-scenes maneuvering that rankled colleagues.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
Because of the state’s maneuvering, it could take years for the plaintiffs to get their day in court.
From Slate ● May 4, 2026
I scrambled on all fours down the aisle, maneuvering around kids who had been tossed out of their seats.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
