navigating

verb

present participle of navigate
1
as in steering
to operate or control the course of the hours of training that are required before a student pilot is allowed to navigate an airplane solo

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in sailing
to travel on water in a vessel the months that were once required to navigate around South America in the days before the Panama Canal

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in traversing
to make one's way through, across, or over it will take some effort to navigate that stretch of hills, but we can do it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of navigating When Hasabo Ibrahim first arrived in Colorado in 1998, finding halal food often meant navigating mainstream grocery stores and carefully checking products one by one. — Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026 Many are navigating divorce, illness, breakups, or a reconsideration of their religious beliefs. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026 David Ayer’s thriller stars Brad Pitt as a Special Forces officer navigating the wilderness with his combat dog. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026 The creator has been candid about her experience with body shifts and navigating clothing sizes. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 For families navigating school drop-offs, carpools, sports practices and road trips, sliding doors still beat long SUV doors in a crowded parking lot. — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026 And for artists who want to create without the backing of a formal organization or an official commission, navigating the seemingly endless hurdles of city permits and clearances is difficult. — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026 Every season, millions of young athletes are being driven home by parents navigating what to say, if anything, and how to say it. — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026 Pilots navigating the island also face heavy turbulence, low-lying sea fog, sudden microclimates and strong updrafts and downdrafts that can push a small aircraft off course. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for navigating
  1. steering
  2. sailing
  3. traversing
  4. piloting
  5. cruising
  6. crossing
  7. following
  8. walking
Verb
  • Turton is entering a new chapter after steering All3Media for a decade as the company completed its $8 billion megamerger with Banijay this year to create the undisputed indie production and distribution champ.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • With Pharrell Williams steering the production ship, the Athens, Georgia native wasted no time in seizing the opportunity to create his most cohesive, genre-bending body of work to date.
    — Mikey Fresh, VIBE.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of steering
Verb
  • The cargo ship Able was carrying wheat and sailing south when the drones attacked, while the Alfa Watan was heading north with the cargo being unknown.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The ship’s April transatlantic cruise starts in Port Canaveral before sailing to Bermuda, the Azores, Portugal, and England.
    — Megan duBois, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of sailing
Verb
  • Oil drops as Hormuz traffic rebounds Oil prices fell as new data showed crude exports from the Middle East surpassed prewar levels, though any respite may be short-lived as attacks on tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz increased.
    — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad operates between Durango and Silverton, traversing the San Juan National Forest and running along the Animas River.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of traversing
Verb
  • Avalo is piloting a demand aggregation campaign with World Collective, a supplier-first sourcing platform for fashion, wherein brands of every size will be able to pool together to have access to low-footprint cotton while supplies last.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Edge faces three counts of first-degree murder, among other charges, after he was accused of piloting a motorboat up to a waterfront bar in Southport in September 2025 and opening fire on patrons.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of piloting
Verb
  • Southwest accomplished its goal emphatically, cruising to a 56-14 victory over Dunbar Friday at Clark Stadium.
    — Shiloh Robinson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The British yard, which revealed its first catamaran at the Cannes Yachting Festival in early September, today unveiled a new flagship sailing superyacht that combines elegant design and meticulous craftsmanship with bluewater cruising capability.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of cruising
Verb
  • Super El Niño impact Inflation in India has been rising for 10 straight months, crossing the central bank's medium-term target of 4% in August, even as economic growth has been resilient so far.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • There were a lot of nuns and priests, and people crossing themselves and crying.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of crossing
Verb
  • In September, a drone that violated Lithuanian airspace was shot down over the nation’s territory for the first time, following similar incidents in Latvia and Estonia.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The European Research Council supported the research through the H2Bro project, following Rothschild’s ERC Advanced Grant awarded in 2023.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of following
Verb
  • Two teenage suspects, ages 14 and 15, allegedly grabbed a necklace from the victim’s neck after walking by them, according to police.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Langham’s Pampered Pets programme extends five-star treatment to your furry friends for a fee, with pet-sitting and dog-walking services.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of walking

Browse Nearby Words

navigates
navigating
navigational
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Cite this Entry

“Navigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navigating. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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