- a variation of maneuver.
manoeuvre
Americannoun
noun
-
a contrived, complicated, and possibly deceptive plan or action
political manoeuvres
-
a movement or action requiring dexterity and skill
-
-
a tactic or movement of one or a number of military or naval units
-
(plural) tactical exercises, usually on a large scale
-
-
a planned movement of an aircraft in flight
-
any change from the straight steady course of a ship
verb
-
(tr) to contrive or accomplish with skill or cunning
-
(intr) to manipulate situations, etc, in order to gain some end
to manoeuvre for the leadership
-
(intr) to perform a manoeuvre or manoeuvres
-
to move or deploy or be moved or deployed, as military units, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of manoeuvre
C15: from French, from Medieval Latin manuopera manual work, from Latin manū operāre to work with the hand
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:
Economists warned the figure will restrict Healey's room for manoeuvre, with little room to increase borrowing in the Budget on 27 October.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Burnham, an MP between 2001 and 2017, has little room to manoeuvre amid high public debt and strict financial rules requiring him to balance government spending against tax revenue.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
There will be some hand-holding as you manoeuvre through the overwhelming crowds.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
BIS is also calling on governments to reduce their debt levels to help preserve central banks' room for manoeuvre in the case of economic shocks.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
They learned how to build and manoeuvre ocean-going vessels and became long-distance fishermen, traders and explorers.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
According to the UK defence source, the Russian frigate appeared to have been "drifting rather than being manoeuvred under power, which may have made her feel more vulnerable".
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
With a steady hand, she manoeuvred a huge wind turbine section, five metres in diameter, across the yard.
From Barron's ● Mar. 7, 2026
For the first time ever, SpaceX successfully manoeuvred the bottom part of the vehicle, the Super Heavy booster, back to the launch pad.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2024
Over the next month it will be manoeuvred out of a museum window and then flown across the Atlantic by the Canadian Air Force.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2023
He manoeuvred the ship over the ruins of Epidaurus.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Ex-health minister Wes Streeting, also manoeuvring for the top job, said Tuesday the prime minister should be given "space over the weekend" to consider his future.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Plus, frankly, there are those within Labour who would rather he didn't come back to Westminster, such has been, as they see it, the gratuitous nature of his manoeuvring for the top job.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
For months however, factions within the ZANU-PF have been manoeuvring for the extension.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2025
He started manoeuvring, and the first person in the way was Helmut Marko, Red Bull's long-time motorsport adviser and a close friend of Mateschitz.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2025
The Nazis are manoeuvring him like a pawn.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
