as in served
to have a certain purpose
the heart functions as a pump for the blood
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Recent Examples of functioned
View gallery - 6 images Very few outside of Japan might be familiar with the Toyota Century, a full-size saloon that has functioned as the automaker's signature vehicle in its home country, with the emperor, prime minister, and other influential people all using one.
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New Atlas, 31 Oct. 2025
After the jewels were taken, it was discovered that though alarms had functioned properly and staff had followed protocol, a security camera had been facing away from the gems.
—News Desk, Artforum, 27 Oct. 2025
The midfield area certainly functioned better against Frankfurt, with Curtis Jones more than justifying his inclusion.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
The crossing has in previous ceasefires functioned as a key conduit for humanitarian aid to flow into the enclave.
—Alexander Cornwell, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
Unlike New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which functioned as a catch-all that allowed plaintiffs to sue virtually any individual or institution, the California statute was more tailored.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Nearly 57 percent of people in the low-dose group had meaningful improvements in pain, stiffness, and how well their knees functioned, compared with about 30 percent in the placebo group.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The case draws parallels to other high-profile tech fraud cases, particularly that of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, though Javice’s defense team argued her product actually functioned, unlike Holmes’s blood-testing technology.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Once inseparable, the two artists’ relationship hit a turning point after Gunna was allowed to leave jail only after acknowledging that YSL functioned as a gang.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 30 Sep. 2025
New Atlas, 31 Oct. 2025
After the jewels were taken, it was discovered that though alarms had functioned properly and staff had followed protocol, a security camera had been facing away from the gems.
—News Desk, Artforum, 27 Oct. 2025
The midfield area certainly functioned better against Frankfurt, with Curtis Jones more than justifying his inclusion.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
The crossing has in previous ceasefires functioned as a key conduit for humanitarian aid to flow into the enclave.
—Alexander Cornwell, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
Unlike New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which functioned as a catch-all that allowed plaintiffs to sue virtually any individual or institution, the California statute was more tailored.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Nearly 57 percent of people in the low-dose group had meaningful improvements in pain, stiffness, and how well their knees functioned, compared with about 30 percent in the placebo group.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The case draws parallels to other high-profile tech fraud cases, particularly that of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, though Javice’s defense team argued her product actually functioned, unlike Holmes’s blood-testing technology.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Once inseparable, the two artists’ relationship hit a turning point after Gunna was allowed to leave jail only after acknowledging that YSL functioned as a gang.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functioned
Verb
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Bloomberg, who served three consecutive terms as mayor in the early 2000s, also pushed for steep tax hikes on the wealthy, and even proposed free transit in some places.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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In the company’s early years, prior to Microsoft’s first $1 billion investment into OpenAI, Brockman essentially served as the AI lab’s CEO, while Altman continued to run Y Combinator.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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North Ridge Partners acted as the exclusive financial adviser on the deal.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
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Fatty acids were then released into the skin, which acted as a signal for hair stem cells to grow.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Companies themselves worked with everything from 0 to 80 per cent; Microsoft’s hypothetical decarbonization pathway appeared to count on close to 50.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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Throughout her campaign, Sherrill worked assiduously to link Ciattarelli to the sitting President.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Functioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functioned. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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