overwordExplorer
ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

maneuver.

The planned movement of troops, vehicles etc.; a strategic repositioning; (later also) a large training field-exercise of fighting units.

8 characters3 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/məˈnuvɚ/US/məˈnuːvə/Received-Pronunciation/məˈnyːvɐ/Multicultural-London-English/maˈnyːvɐ/Multicultural-London-English
  1. The planned movement of troops, vehicles etc.; a strategic repositioning; (later also) a large training field-exercise of fighting units.

    US
    The army was on maneuvers.
    Joint NATO maneuvers are as much an exercise in diplomacy as in tactics and logistics.
  2. Any strategic or cunning action; a stratagem.

    US
  3. A movement of the body, or with an implement, instrument etc., especially one performed with skill or dexterity.

    US
  4. A specific medical or surgical movement, often eponymous, done with the doctor's hands or surgical instruments.

    US
    The otorhinolaryngologist performed an Epley maneuver and the patient was relieved of his vertigo.
  5. A controlled (especially skillful) movement taken while steering a vehicle.

    US
    Parallel parking can be a difficult maneuver.
Where this word comes from

From Middle French manœuvre (“manipulation, maneuver”) and manouvrer (“to maneuver”), from Old French manovre (“handwork, manual labor”), from Medieval Latin manopera, manuopera (“work done by hand, handwork”), from manu (“by hand”) + operari (“to work”). First recorded in the Capitularies of Charlemagne (800 AD) to mean "chore, manual task", probably as a calque of the Frankish *handuwerk (“hand-work”). Compare Old English handweorc, Old English handġeweorc, German Handwerk. The verb is a doublet of the verb manure.

verb/məˈnuvɚ/US/məˈnuːvə/Received-Pronunciation/məˈnyːvɐ/Multicultural-London-English/maˈnyːvɐ/Multicultural-London-English
  1. To move (something, or oneself) carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position.

    US · ambitransitive
  2. To guide, steer, manage purposefully

    US · figuratively · transitive
  3. To intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme

    US · figuratively · intransitive
    The patriarch maneuvered till his offspring occupied countless key posts
Where this word comes from

From Middle French manœuvre (“manipulation, maneuver”) and manouvrer (“to maneuver”), from Old French manovre (“handwork, manual labor”), from Medieval Latin manopera, manuopera (“work done by hand, handwork”), from manu (“by hand”) + operari (“to work”). First recorded in the Capitularies of Charlemagne (800 AD) to mean "chore, manual task", probably as a calque of the Frankish *handuwerk (“hand-work”). Compare Old English handweorc, Old English handġeweorc, German Handwerk. The verb is a doublet of the verb manure.

FROM WORD TO NAME

Try it on your idea.

maneuver has 8 characters. Say it out loud, try it alongside a description of your project, and see whether its meaning fits what you want to create.

maneuver studiomaneuver workshello, maneuver

These are naming prompts. Meanings and pronunciation can vary; existing brand and domain uses have not been checked.

Explore the name generator

A word with a source.

Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.