maneuver
Americannoun
-
a planned and regulated movement or evolution of troops, warships, etc.
-
maneuvers, a series of tactical exercises usually carried out in the field by large bodies of troops in simulating the conditions of war.
-
an act or instance of changing the direction of a moving ship, vehicle, etc., as required.
-
an adroit move, skillful proceeding, etc., especially as characterized by craftiness; ploy.
political maneuvers.
verb (used with object)
-
to change the position of (troops, ships, etc.) by a maneuver.
-
to bring, put, drive, or make by maneuvers.
He maneuvered his way into the confidence of the enemy.
-
to manipulate or manage with skill or adroitness.
to maneuver a conversation.
-
to steer in various directions as required.
noun
Other Word Forms
- maneuverability noun
- maneuverable adjective
- maneuverer noun
- maneuvering noun
- unmaneuvered adjective
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” ( operate ); replacing earlier maanorre “manual labor,” Middle French, as above
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.
He launched a maneuver he’d completed many times before, a back flip off a steep jump.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026
So, is the Irish exit rude or simply a strategic social maneuver?
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
“We will now begin to expand inland…creating additional freedom of maneuver for U.S. forces,” said Caine, adding, “we have sufficient precision munitions for the task at hand, both for offense and defense.”
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
An F/A-18 that was being pulled into position was whipsawed by the maneuver and “departed the hangar bay,” the Navy’s incident report said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
It took an hour to maneuver through the courtyard as he arranged treatment for the most serious cases.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
