maneuver
Americannoun
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maneuvers
plural
-
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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maneuvers,
present (3rd person singular)
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maneuvered,
past participle, past
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maneuvering
present participle
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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
-
maneuversimple
-
maneuverssimple
-
have maneuveredperfect
-
has maneuveredperfect
-
am maneuveringprogressive
-
are maneuveringprogressive
-
is maneuveringprogressive
-
have been maneuveringperfect progressive
-
has been maneuveringperfect progressive
Past
-
maneuveredsimple
-
had maneuveredperfect
-
was maneuveringprogressive
-
were maneuveringprogressive
-
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:
He added, “They’ve not only closed the gap—they’ve demonstrated an ability to maneuver satellites and conduct operations that we cannot do.”
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
That’s a maneuver that positions the booster to return to a landing site.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Simplicity, studies, shrewd promotion by its inventor—and a demonstration on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson—made the Heimlich maneuver a go-to method.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
In effect, the Leipzig attack was like a maneuver in a war game, or a feint.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
Helen tries to maneuver me onto the sofa but I can’t stay sitting; my body wants to pace.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
These maneuvers are intended to test technologies that could eventually be used for in-space satellite servicing, including future missions in which one spacecraft approaches and works near another.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
That’s what makes the promise of increased Treasury buybacks through November, and other potential “tools,” more than technical maneuvers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
Some financial analysts compared Bessent’s maneuvers to “rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic”—which probably isn’t an analogy he’d prefer to see!
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
Yields, though, have continued to march higher, exposing the limits of his maneuvers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
There’s no following along or awkward maneuvers in this place.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Bimbo is maneuvered into a graveyard whose tombstones sway and sing, and whose ground opens up to reveal teeth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
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
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
That was fast, though, Moss thought, and he maneuvered his way to the living room as quickly as he could.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
But he has been irked at what he says is Paramount’s under-the-table maneuvering.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Even pro-AI residents have objected to the furtive maneuvering around data centers.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
But Cook’s careful demand forecasting and supply-chain maneuvering has hit a wall with one technological development: artificial intelligence.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
UniCredit, one of Italy’s largest banks, has meanwhile been maneuvering to take control of Germany’s Commerzbank, securing nearly half of the target bank’s shares following a takeover push this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Some girls were trying to take selfies, maneuvering themselves so Oprah would appear in the background of their shots.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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.
