steer
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to guide the course of (something in motion) by a rudder, helm, wheel, etc..
to steer a bicycle.
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to follow or pursue (a particular course).
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to direct the course of; guide.
I can steer you to the best restaurant in town.
verb (used without object)
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to direct the course of a vessel, vehicle, airplane, or the like, by the use of a rudder or other means.
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to pursue a course of action.
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(of a vessel, vehicle, airplane, etc.) to be steered or guided in a particular direction or manner.
noun
idioms
noun
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steers,
plural
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steer
plural
verb (used with or without object)
verb
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to direct the course of (a vehicle or vessel) with a steering wheel, rudder, etc
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(tr) to guide with tuition
his teachers steered him through his exams
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(tr) to direct the movements or course of (a person, conversation, etc)
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to pursue (a specified course)
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(intr) (of a vessel, vehicle, etc) to admit of being guided in a specified fashion
this boat does not steer properly
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to keep away from; shun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of steer1
First recorded before 900; Middle English steren, stere, stieren, Old English stēoran, stēran, stíoran, stýran, akin to stēor, stýr “steering, guidance”; cognate with German steuern, Old Norse stȳra, Gothic stiurjan
Origin of steer2
First recorded before 900; Middle English ster(e), Old English stēor “young bull or ox,” cognate with Dutch, German Stier, Old Norse stjōrr, Gothic stiur
Explanation
In defining steer, I would steer clear of complicated examples and just say: to steer is to control which direction one is going. Everyone who owns a car has learned to point his car in the right direction using the steering wheel. It's a bad idea to let your five year-old steer; you might end up in a sandbox. But the use of steer doesn't need to be limited to wheels and handle bars. If you have a friend torn between whether or not to go to college, you can help steer her towards the right decision. The President's job is "to steer the Ship of State."
Vocabulary lists containing steer
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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David Cameron's Words After the Brexit Vote
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 10
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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:
In 1986, Bycel took on the role of dean for the Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law, helping steer the ship after the former dean was accused of misappropriating funds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Philippa Northeast plays Sybylla Melvyn, a girl in rural Australia who wants to be a writer while her relatives steer her toward a husband.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
News of the food-safety scare might make consumers steer clear of Chipotle restaurants temporarily, and the chain might have to run promotions to get them back, the analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Air India said Gebremariam was unanimously chosen by its board after an extensive search, citing his leadership and operational expertise to steer the airline's "next phase of growth".
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
“On course? You mean how do I steer the blasted thing?”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
She even calls the coma patient Bernie while she steers him into cars and onto planes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Our mistakes will again be forgotten,” Odysseus predicts as the land he loves sails into the Dark Ages while he steers the helm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
As it steers further north, the rain and stronger winds are more likely in Northern Ireland than Scotland.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Florida’s attorney general says he is examining whether CVS’s PBM steers patients to its own pharmacies.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
He had never heard it called Texas roping before; he knew it as steer roping, because they used old stringy Mexican steers rather than more expensive cows or calves.
From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko
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.
