maneuver
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A movement of the body, or with an implement, instrument etc.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
muhnooverSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
məˈnuvɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A movement of the body, or with an implement, instrument etc., especially one performed with skill or dexterity.
A controlled (especially skillful) movement taken while steering a vehicle.
Any strategic or cunning action; a stratagem.
verb
ambitransitive
To move (something, or oneself) carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position.
figurativetransitive
To guide, steer, manage purposefully
figurativeintransitive
To intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A movement of the body, or with an implement, instrument etc., especially one performed with skill or dexterity.
Used this way, maneuver is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- manoeuvering , rarer, so it draws attention
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use maneuver
- “He maneuvered to get the chairmanship.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A maneuver executed by an aircraft.
A move made to gain a tactical end.
A maneuver executed by an aircraft.
An emergency procedure to help someone who is choking because food is lodged in the trachea.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.