The 40 tells · Words · No. 10
Why "navigate" makes writing sound machine-made
Flagged "Navigate"
"Navigate the complexities of" makes every task sound like crossing an ocean. It is a stock phrase for "deal with" or "get through", and it often comes with "complexities" or "challenges" attached.
Name the hard part. "Navigate tax season" says less than "file your quarterly return".
Before
We help you navigate the complexities of the home-buying journey.
After
A checklist for each step, from the first viewing to the keys, with the documents you need at each one.
The fix
Swap it for the concrete thing. What does it do, in words a buyer can check?
Write this instead
- handle
- get through
- deal with
- or name the task
What the checker matches
Any of these, in any case:
- navigate
- navigates
- navigating