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” ( 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.

Example Sentences

During a planned roll maneuver on Feb. 27, Voyager 1 experienced an unexpected drop in power.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

That accounting maneuver can turbocharge the early returns reported by the continuation fund to its investors — who have no idea that these returns reflect clever accounting instead of investment skill.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

The Fed, which needs to balance both price stability and full employment, is likely to signal it has enough leeway to maneuver either way.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Portland defender Jrue Holiday executed a maneuver termed “pulling the chair” — moving completely away from the Spurs center, who clearly was expecting contact.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 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

Related Words

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