act vs maneuver

act

verb
  • To feign. 

  • Of a play: to be acted out (well or badly). 

  • To perform a theatrical role. 

  • To play (a role). 

  • To convey an appearance of being. 

  • To map via a homomorphism to a group of automorphisms (of). 

  • To do something. 

  • To have an effect (on). 

  • To behave in a certain manner for an indefinite length of time. 

  • To do something that causes a change binding on the doer. 

noun
  • A product of a legislative body, a statute. 

  • A display of behaviour. 

  • A display of behaviour meant to deceive. 

  • A division of a theatrical performance. 

  • Something done once and for all, as distinguished from a work. 

  • Any organized activity. 

  • A performer or performers in a show. 

  • A formal or official record of something done. 

  • The process of doing something. 

  • A thesis maintained in public, in some English universities, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student. 

  • Something done, a deed. 

maneuver

verb
  • To intrigue, manipulate, plot, scheme 

  • To move (something, or oneself) carefully, and often with difficulty, into a certain position. 

  • To guide, steer, manage purposefully 

noun
  • A controlled (especially skillful) movement taken while steering a vehicle. 

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

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

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

  • Any strategic or cunning action; a stratagem. 

How often have the words act and maneuver occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )