How to Use function in a Sentence

function

1 of 2 noun
  • The function of the heart is to pump blood through the body.
  • He believes that the true function of art is to tell the truth.
  • The design achieves a perfect blend of form and function.
  • The instrument is chiefly used to measure and record heart function.
  • His job combines the functions of a manager and a worker.
  • What functions do these programs fulfill?
  • Her chief function is to provide expert legal advice.
  • They went to several functions during their college reunion weekend.
  • The next weak link was in the maybe_download_backup_from_email function.
    Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 18 Feb. 2022
  • Each of the three components of the shirt has a function.
    Jennifer Kite-Powell, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2021
  • And so all of our spaces have to have more than one function.
    Carisha Swanson, House Beautiful, 16 Sep. 2021
  • This kitchen cart comes in black or white, and wins in terms of both form and function.
    Kathleen Willcox, Popular Mechanics, 27 July 2022
  • This truck had a glass roof and front seats that reclined all the way back to function as cots.
    Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 23 Nov. 2020
  • The removal of the music sync function might cause some waves, though.
    Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 9 Aug. 2022
  • The microbes drive a lot of the ecosystem function in most habitats.
    Deborah Sullivan Brennan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2020
  • The designer cuts through the fluff to focus on form and function.
    Vogue, 31 Jan. 2022
  • The home has two kitchens, and the second functions as a catering or prep kitchen.
    Mary Grace Metheny, Dallas News, 15 May 2020
  • Comfort is important—the form and the function have to be right.
    Sarah Scoles, Wired, 9 Nov. 2021
  • What his graph showed was tax revenue as a function of tax rates.
    Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 30 May 2017
  • Nobody will care more about the function and structure of your next house than you.
    Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 2 June 2017
  • Steam irons equip a tank for water and include a spray function to shoot steam out of the plate.
    Hanna Horvath, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2021
  • Both have lost sight of their historic function to preserve the peace.
    Matthew Continetti, National Review, 14 Dec. 2019
  • Is this a blip, a function of the adjustment to new teammates?
    Rick Bonnell, charlotteobserver, 18 Oct. 2017
  • But the practice of reading does, to my mind, serve a moral function.
    New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023
  • Take a look at these five options that marry form and function.
    Lindsey M. Roberts, sacbee, 15 June 2018
  • The producer in my opinion has not lost his role and function.
    Manuela Santacatterina, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 June 2023
  • Such startling numbers are the end of a complex function.
    Noah Robertson, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Nov. 2020
  • The fall has seen two spikes—one was linked to a church function where a communal meal was shared.
    Hannah Seligson, Town & Country, 3 Nov. 2020
  • Set it out on your bookshelf next to some plants and few will ever guess its true function.
    Bon Appétit, 14 Dec. 2021
  • No one asks white actors, so how does race function in your work?
    The New Yorker, 29 May 2022
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function

2 of 2 verb
  • The new machine functions well.
  • Her heart now seems to be functioning normally.
  • His bad health has prevented him from being able to function effectively in recent weeks.
  • The computer network is not yet fully functioning.
  • Some light strings will not function if one of the bulbs is out.
    Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, 28 Sep. 2017
  • That told him a lot about how the ocean had functioned as a system.
    Gary Robbins, sandiegouniontribune.com, 1 Sep. 2017
  • The festival site is a functioning farm the rest of the year, right?
    Katie Bain, Billboard, 9 Aug. 2019
  • This allows the skin to breathe and the body to function normally.
    Emma Sarran Webster, Teen Vogue, 5 July 2017
  • The skin’s response is to function, and that’s healthy.
    Jessica Yarbrough, SELF, 17 Jan. 2019
  • Isolate that area of the brain that is not functioning and bring in the troops from the rest of your brain.
    Mike Oliver | Moliver@al.com, al, 10 Aug. 2019
  • Maybe a household can function with one car rather than two.
    WIRED, 17 Nov. 2022
  • Some have proteins that function as a kind of antifreeze.
    Beth Botts, chicagotribune.com, 8 Jan. 2022
  • Both posts must be filled for a government to function.
    Jill Lawless and Peter Morrison, Anchorage Daily News, 4 May 2022
  • The Jazz were nowhere near as good, the attack did not function at the same level.
    Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 June 2021
  • Cloth gloves also function as a reminder to touch your face less.
    Colleen Stinchcombe, SELF, 11 July 2020
  • What steps will be taken if the student is unable to function?
    Caryn M. Sullivan, Twin Cities, 9 June 2019
  • The device would function around the clock and charge at night, though Musk didn't say how.
    Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2020
  • Aston’s first job was to hone the group into a functioning team.
    David James, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2023
  • The 10-yard line will function as the goal line at this game.
    Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2019
  • How did writing it function for you in that way, keeping you sane?
    Rachel Handler, Vulture, 10 June 2021
  • And just like the rest of your body, your brain depends on good blood flow to function properly.
    Stefani Sassos, Ms, Rdn, Cso, Good Housekeeping, 17 Mar. 2020
  • Hey those things don’t function at all,’ that was a surprise.
    Chris Tomasson, Twin Cities, 1 Jan. 2020
  • But the stripes also function, to my eyes, as a kind of moral principle.
    Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2022
  • In some states, prices are listed for cities that function like counties.
    Kevin Crowe, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2023
  • Sometimes those tools and means can function as blinders.
    Christopher Schaberg, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2018
  • This long-lasting option is shaped to function as both a hand warmer and a pocket warmer.
    Kaitlyn McInnis, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2023
  • Just like white, gray can also function as a warm or cool color.
    Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 25 July 2019
  • At least compared to how websites look and function today.
    Peter Dawson, Houston Chronicle, 2 July 2019
  • The knowledge machine doesn’t need dreams or magic to function.
    Christoph Irmscher, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2020
  • Plus, the spray can get into ports that need to stay dry in order to function properly.
    Carolyn Forté, Good Housekeeping, 17 Jan. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'function.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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