maneuver

American  

[muh-noo-ver] / məˈnu vər /

especially British, manoeuvre

noun

1. a planned and regulated movement or evolution of troops, warships, etc.

2. maneuvers, a series of tactical exercises usually carried out in the field by large bodies of troops in simulating the conditions of war.

3. an act or instance of changing the direction of a moving ship, vehicle, etc., as required.

4. an adroit move, skillful proceeding, etc., especially as characterized by craftiness; ploy.

   political maneuvers.

   Synonyms:

   plan, plot, scheme, procedure, artifice, ruse, tactic, stratagem

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verb (used with object)

maneuvered, maneuvering

1. to change the position of (troops, ships, etc.) by a maneuver.

2. to bring, put, drive, or make by maneuvers.

   He maneuvered his way into the confidence of the enemy.

   Synonyms:

   intrigue, contrive, scheme

3. to manipulate or manage with skill or adroitness.

   to maneuver a conversation.

   Synonyms:

   finesse, handle

4. to steer in various directions as required.

verb (used without object)

maneuvered, maneuvering

1. to perform a maneuver or maneuvers.

2. to scheme; intrigue.

   Synonyms:

   plan, plot

maneuver British  

/ məˈnuːvə /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of manoeuvre

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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

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.

Example Sentences

And the higher expected returns on equities merely compensate for the risk that will be borne by the taxpayers — a huge and risky financial maneuver with very little payoff.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Hansen then described the translunar injection burn -- a maneuver that brought Orion within 200 kilometers of Earth before swinging around onto a new course for the Moon.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

It was a maneuver based in part on the fact that other nations, including China and in Europe, are much more reliant on oil from the region than the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

So, is the Irish exit rude or simply a strategic social maneuver?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Little by little she began to understand how a creature could maneuver in such a treacherous medium.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• action
• gimmick
• manipulation
• measure
• movement
• plot
• ploy
• procedure
• ruse
• scheme
• step
• stunt
• trick