manoeuvre

noun

/məˈnuːvə(r)/

/məˈnuːvər/

(US English maneuver)

Idioms

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[countable] a movement performed with care and skill
- a complicated/skilful manoeuvre
- You will be asked to perform some standard manoeuvres during your driving test.
Extra Examples
- The pilot has to carry out a series of complex manoeuvres.
- Careful, this is a tricky manoeuvre.
- They attempted the manoeuvre five or six times.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- complex
- complicated
- difficult
- …
… of manoeuvres/maneuvers
- series
verb + manoeuvre/maneuver
- carry out
- do
- execute
- …
See full entry
[countable, uncountable] a clever plan, action or movement that is used to give somebody an advantage synonym move
- diplomatic manoeuvres
- a complex manoeuvre in a game of chess
- The amendment was somehow introduced by political manoeuvre.
Extra Examples
- Her withdrawal from the contest was a tactical manoeuvre.
- It was difficult to keep track of her political manoeuvres.
- She defended her latest manoeuvre in a letter to the press.
- This could be a clever pre-election manoeuvre.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- brilliant
- strategic
- tactical
- …
verb + manoeuvre/maneuver
- use
- carry out
- execute
- …
manoeuvre/maneuver + verb
- fail
preposition
- by a/the manoeuvre
phrases
- freedom of manoeuvre
- room for manoeuvre
See full entry
manoeuvres
[plural] military exercises involving a large number of soldiers, ships, etc.
- on manoeuvres The army is on manoeuvres in the desert.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- military
- strategic
- tactical
- …
verb + manoeuvre/maneuver
- carry out
- conduct
- execute
- …
manoeuvre/maneuver + noun
- battalion
- brigade
- force
- …
phrases
- be on manoeuvres
- go on manoeuvres
See full entry

Word Originmid 18th cent. (as a noun in the sense ‘tactical movement’): from French manœuvre (noun), manœuvrer (verb), from medieval Latin manuoperare from Latin manus ‘hand’ + operari ‘to work’.

Idioms

freedom of/room for manoeuvre

the chance to change the way that something happens and influence decisions that are made
- Small farmers have limited room for manoeuvre.
Extra Examples
- The economic conditions are restricting the bank's freedom of manoeuvre.
- The government has very little room for manoeuvre on this issue.

manoeuvre

verb

/məˈnuːvə(r)/

/məˈnuːvər/

(US English maneuver)

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they manoeuvre	/məˈnuːvə(r)/ /məˈnuːvər/
he / she / it manoeuvres	/məˈnuːvəz/ /məˈnuːvərz/
past simple manoeuvred	/məˈnuːvəd/ /məˈnuːvərd/
past participle manoeuvred	/məˈnuːvəd/ /məˈnuːvərd/
-ing form manoeuvring	/məˈnuːvərɪŋ/ /məˈnuːvərɪŋ/

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[intransitive, transitive] to move or turn with skill or care; to move or turn something with skill or care
- manoeuvre (for something) The yachts manoeuvred for position.
- There was very little room to manoeuvre.
- manoeuvre something (+ adv./prep.) She manoeuvred the car carefully into the garage.
Extra Examples
- He carefully manoeuvred the boat past the rocks.
- You will need to learn how to manoeuvre in a confined space.
Topics Transport by waterc1
[intransitive, transitive] to control or influence a situation in a way that shows skill but is sometimes dishonest
- The new laws have left us little room to manoeuvre (= not much opportunity to change or influence a situation).
- manoeuvre something + adv./prep. She manoeuvred her way to the top of the company.
Extra Examples
- Both leaders are manoeuvring for position.
- She was determined not to be manoeuvred into things she didn't want to do.
- There have been months of political manoeuvring.