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
But the estate functioned as more than a single house.
—
David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
The Lakers functioned as a family business for more than 45 years under the ownership of the late Jerry Buss and his children.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
But citizenship has never functioned in such a simple way.
—Daisy Hernández, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
For years, biologists assumed the stoop mainly functioned as a brute-force tactic, used to build enough speed to overwhelm prey.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
In recent days, he’s functioned as the fund’s public face and most visible defender, a role consistent with his comfort in the spotlight.
—Eric Tucker, Fortune, 23 May 2026
In the 1990s, many white-supremacist communities functioned on the fringes of society, in hard-to-reach places such as East Texas and the Idaho panhandle.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
The dynamic collective functioned as a training ground not only for its maestro, but for an era of creatives that would leave a lasting impression on the market.
—Maria Cristina Pavarini, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
Where packaging and pre-sales once functioned as infrastructure, audience itself is increasingly becoming the infrastructure.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
The Lakers functioned as a family business for more than 45 years under the ownership of the late Jerry Buss and his children.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
But citizenship has never functioned in such a simple way.
—Daisy Hernández, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
For years, biologists assumed the stoop mainly functioned as a brute-force tactic, used to build enough speed to overwhelm prey.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
In recent days, he’s functioned as the fund’s public face and most visible defender, a role consistent with his comfort in the spotlight.
—Eric Tucker, Fortune, 23 May 2026
In the 1990s, many white-supremacist communities functioned on the fringes of society, in hard-to-reach places such as East Texas and the Idaho panhandle.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
The dynamic collective functioned as a training ground not only for its maestro, but for an era of creatives that would leave a lasting impression on the market.
—Maria Cristina Pavarini, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
Where packaging and pre-sales once functioned as infrastructure, audience itself is increasingly becoming the infrastructure.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functioned
Verb
-
Here are those who served in the judicial branch.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Likely because Beyoncé served as a co-chair for this year’s event, the 14-year-old got a pass, wearing a white strapless Balenciaga gown with silver Jimmy Choo stilettos, sunglasses, and an unzipped jacket.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Lawmakers passed the new map amid a partisan redistricting war that played out across the nation before Florida acted.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
-
But like a paving stone above a cluster of mushrooms, the glaciers acted like a lid, preventing the volcanoes from growing too tall.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Jared Bednar’s plan worked, and this core executed it with near-flawless precision in 2022.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
The walk-off home run came after the bullpen of the Twins (27-31) had worked four scoreless innings, taking over after a four-inning start from Taj Bradley.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functioned. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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