maneuver Hear it!

maneuver Definition

ma·neu·ver (mə no̵̅o̅′vər, -nyo̵̅o̅′-)

noun

  1. a planned and controlled tactical or strategic movement of troops, warships, aircraft, etc.
  2. large-scale practice movements and exercises of troops, warships, aircraft, etc. under simulated combat conditions
  3. any skillful change of movement or direction in driving a vehicle, controlling a spacecraft, etc.; specif.,
    1. any change of movement by a flying aircraft
    2. a series of movements by an aircraft according to a specific pattern, as a roll, a loop, etc.
  4. any movement or procedure intended as a skillful or shrewd step toward some objective; stratagem; artifice; scheme

Etymology: Fr manœuvre, orig., hand labor < VL manuopera < L manu operare, to work by hand < manus, a hand (see manual) + opera, pl. of opus, a work: see opus

intransitive verb, transitive verb

  1. to perform or cause to perform a maneuver or maneuvers
  2. to manage or plan skillfully or shrewdly; manipulate or scheme
    1. to direct or guide (a vehicle, tool, etc.) with skill and dexterity
    2. to move, lead, get, put, make, compel, etc. (a person or thing) by some stratagem or scheme

maneuver Related Forms
ma·neu′·ver·able adjective ma·neu′·ver·abil′·ity noun ma·neu′·verer noun
maneuver Synonyms

maneuver

n.

  1. A movement, usually military

    stratagem, movement, procedure; see plan 2, tactics.

  2. A trick

    trick, subterfuge, finesse, ruse; see trick 1.

  3. Extensive practice in arms; plural

    sham battle, imitation war, exercises, war games, summer maneuvers; see also drill 3, exercise 1, parade 1. See syn. study at trick.

maneuver Synonyms

maneuver

v.

plot, scheme, machinate, intrigue, move, finesse, manage, contrive, design, devise, trick, cheat, conspire, shift, sham, proceed, angle for*, wangle into*; see also plan 1.

maneuver Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • execute: He walked down the corridor after them, then executed a sharp right maneuver which took him to the door of Daniel's office.
  • perform: Ian scowls at me for a moment then stalks off to perform the heimlich maneuver on some bloke choking on a hog roast.
  • do: The disk can and does maneuver at high speeds and appears to have had stealth qualities all along.
  • include: Exhibition mode includes new maneuvers which you could not have gotten befor.
  • make: Despite its length, the width was narrow in comparison making the maneuver friendly.

Adjective modifier

  • evasive: This is the secondary evasive maneuver, which will flip your ship around automatically.
  • aerobatic: This was his only experience of unconsciousness during an aerobatic maneuver.
  • tactical: Now this mere tactical maneuver of Korean War intelligence office politics has been elevated to a major myth of UFOlogy.
  • defensive: I can only assume the passengers were tossed about because of the defensive maneuver.
  • aerial: Get ready to take flight, as Superman Returns ' revolutionary new mechanics allow you to take full command of your aerial maneuvers.
  • operational: Operational maneuver allows the commander to attack selected enemy elements to prevent them from interfering with his plan.

Modifies a noun

  • commander: The maneuver commander for whom the smoke is planned must approve its use.
  • battalion: The maneuver battalion task force field trains are not always located in the BSA.
  • brigade: Ships assigned the mission of GS provide fires for a committed maneuver brigade or larger unit.
  • force: They preserve the combat power of maneuver forces to be concentrated at the point of decision.
  • unit: The corps must now coordinate the passage of lines by changing the AD weapons status of the ground maneuver units.
  • element: Darkness can bring on a false sense of security which can be fatal to the maneuver elements.

Modifying Another Word

  • out: My battle plan worked fairly well, kill off the weaker units with bow fire, then out maneuver the harder stuff.

Noun used with modifier

  • combat: Information and networking alone are not substitutes for combat maneuver and the massing of armed forces.
  • ground: The corps must now coordinate the passage of lines by changing the AD weapons status of the ground maneuver units.

Browse dictionary entries near maneuver

  1. ‹ Manet
  2. ‹ manes
  3. ‹ mane
  4. ‹ Mandy
  5. ‹ manducate
  6. ‹ mandrill
  7. ‹ mandrel wrapping
  8. ‹ mandrel
  9. ‹ mandrake
  10. ‹ mandragora
  1. maneuverer ›
  2. manful ›
  3. manga ›
  4. mangabey ›
  5. Mangalore ›
  6. manganate ›
  7. manganese ›
  8. manganese bronze ›
  9. manganese dioxide ›
  10. manganese steel ›