operating 1 of 2

Definition of operatingnext

operating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of operate
1
as in handling
to control the mechanical operation of do not operate heavy machinery, including cars, after taking this medication

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

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 operating
Adjective
Last year, though revenue and operating profit increased, non-operating red ink pushed the company into a full-year loss of NT$766 million, or $25 million. Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025 The adjusted net income decreased by 8% y-o-y to $3.9 billion in the first nine months of 2022 due to higher expenses as a % of revenues and lower non-operating income. Trefis Team, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023 Under Proposition 309, voters casting mail-in ballots could provide a driver's license or non-operating identification license number, the last four digits of a social security number, or a unique identifying number provided by the secretary of state for voter registration purposes. Arlyssa D. Becenti, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2022 Known for many years for its great and famous passenger trains, the last regularly scheduled FECR passenger train ran on July 31, 1968, due to the work stoppage by the non-operating unions that began on January 22, 1963. Seth H. Bramson, Sun Sentinel, 12 Oct. 2022 On Monday, as Hasbro released its fourth quarter earnings, the toy maker recorded a $41.3 million net non-cash, non-operating charge associated with the company’s investment in the Discovery Family Channel. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2022
Verb
The team forecasted total expenses — all expenses recorded between sales and operating income on an income statement — to be about $12 billion to $19 billion above analyst expectations. CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026 Belmond, meanwhile, builds on its own legacy, operating the legendary Venice Simplon–Orient-Express. Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026 Microsoft describes it as part of a broader shift toward physical AI, where intelligent agents interact directly with the physical world rather than operating only in digital spaces. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026 Burroughs explained at least four presses will fire up as the game winds down, operating from sunset to sunrise. Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026 Later in the year, the administration made a legal argument that because the agency gets its funding from the Federal Reserve, and since the Fed is technically operating at a loss, there are no funds that can be allocated to the CFPB. Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026 However, no workers were present and the machines were not operating. Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026 He is being lined up to be an understudy/support for central midfielder Enzo Fernandez, rather than operating on the flanks. Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 15 Mar. 2025 The Southern African Development Community mission was part of a myriad of forces operating in the mineral-rich region plagued by decades of armed violence. arkansasonline.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operating
Adjective
  • Especially to help contribute to our significant capital and operational costs, and even some of our more unusual but rare £130 losses.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
  • This includes deploying multiple AI agents that mirror real operational workflows and drive efficiency across clinical, administrative, and financial domains.
    David Chou, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • One case his office is handling involves a refugee who was pulled over in traffic and detained by ICE officers soon after leaving home.
    Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
  • People handling or consuming the products could become seriously ill due to adulteration from pests, including rodents, birds and insects, the company said.
    Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Her mother accompanied her to appointments, managing logistics and providing emotional support.
    Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Tina Olson, a managing attorney with the Juvenile Lifer Unit in the State Appellate Defender Office, says the decision doesn't minimize the crimes committed – or the victims impacted – but instead ensures defendants are given fair punishments.
    Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Hardemon, working with Miami City Commission Chairwoman Christine King and CRA Executive Director James McQueen, imagined a future that put Overtown at the center of art and innovation.
    Dorothy Jenkins Fields, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Not working with the federal agency is not the response the City of Pittsburgh Republican Committee wanted to hear.
    Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Though Amelia is a particularly viral example, using AI to generate content was already a popular pastime for the online right in Britain.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Those who bought the checks would then attempt to fraudulently cash them, according to federal prosecutors, using a variety of methods.
    Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Budanov, who has survived numerous assassination attempts, began his career as a special forces operative and served in the east after Russia illegally annexed Crimea and its proxies took over Ukraine’s eastern fringes.
    Reuters 6 hr ago, CNN Money, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Their pre-operative assessment involves a thorough analysis of the airway.
    Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Columbus blanked the Blackhawks on their two power-play chances, running their string of futility to 26 man-advantages and 10 games without a goal.
    CBS News, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
  • On January 30, the 38-year-old pop star was photographed running an errand in a classic white t-shirt and baggy blue jeans, unbothered by the way her relaxed denim pooled around her thin flip-flops.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The first demos had obvious chase cars supervising the operations.
    Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Duneland also brought its special education programs in-house, changing its relationship with the Porter County Education Services, which had been supervising special education teachers.
    Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Operating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operating. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

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