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as in to use
to control the mechanical operation of do not operate heavy machinery, including cars, after taking this medication

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2
3
as in to perform
to produce a desired effect the medicine will take an hour or so to operate the first time you use it

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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 operate Legal issues faced by the Airline History Museum over the past several years dealing with the museum’s ability to operate in its current location has left its displays locked down and out of the view of the public. Chris Ochsner, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025 White walls are lined with a rotation of paintings by local artists and an adjacent space is operated as an art gallery for exhibits and a host of community events. Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 28 Sep. 2025 The humans in these positions must be able to design systems that can anticipate failures, self-optimize, and operate with resilience at levels far beyond human monitoring. Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025 Some locals say that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and MS-13 operate there, too. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for operate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operate
Verb
  • Opera has used the Neon name before for a concept browser back in 2017.
    James Peckham, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Others, however, believed that Johnson used his access as leverage in dealing with Bukele.
    T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The dispute affected educators and policymakers statewide — but Pendleton managed to take the best of both literacy methods and apply them to the 130,000-plus students then enrolled in San Diego schools, Lopez said.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
  • This was big news in an evolving saga of how college athletics departments, facing seismic financial change, would manage to cope with growing costs like revenue-sharing with athletes.
    Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The reggaeton star’s ability to perform entirely in Spanish while topping charts globally has rewritten the rules of what mainstream success looks like.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Just players performing the task at hand and being aware of certain situations.
    Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The paper's Friday story added that authorities utilized genealogical DNA to secure the recent breakthrough — the same kind of evidence that led to an arrest in the notorious Golden State Killer case in 2018.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The streamer has utilized boxing events, such as Canelo-Crawford and the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight, promoted by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, to expand its foray into live events.
    Matt Moret, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Still, some industry critics have said Peloton's equipment isn't appropriate for gym settings because the machines can't handle higher frequency use, which prompted the company to create a more durable lineup.
    Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Democrats say health care protections must be preserved, while Republicans say that funding and policy should be handled separately.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In their recommendation, Warner and Kaine said Nachmanoff supervised a team that represented more than 2,500 clients accused of federal violations ranging from petty offenses to capital murder.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Erica Hayes is supervising director.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Every single day, it's been a pleasure coming to work and putting on the orange and blue.
    Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The individual was discovered inside one of the main landing gear compartments while the maintenance crew was working on the aircraft, which had arrived from Europe, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a news release.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • There are, nonetheless, lessons that could apply to businesses and policymakers anywhere.
    Peter Vanham, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Water plants thoroughly and apply 1 to 2 inches of mulch, leaving a small ring around the trunk free of mulch.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Operate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operate. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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