as in operating
being in effective operation
looked for a functioning washing machine, but the few that weren't broken were in use
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in activity
Related Words
as in acting
to have a certain purpose
the heart functions as a pump for the blood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of functioning
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2026
Collins says cleaning a functioning or newer dryer once every two years is sufficient to clear our major blocks and prevent more serious complications, such as clogs that can lead to fires.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2026
Investigators say the error was compounded by non-functioning signal systems along with failures in staffing, oversight and maintenance during years of delays in safety upgrades.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Velasquez said Chait placed a strong emphasis on communication, recalling that district leaders recently sent administrators guidance on reassuring families that schools would remain safe and functioning.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
At the same time, Maguire ventured into opposition territory to serve as an emergency centre-forward — rarely a sign of a functioning game plan.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
New Yorkers deserve and require a fully functioning and cohesive government.
—Kirsten John Foy, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
Police say the driver stopped at the non-functioning signal but did not see the teen in the crosswalk before proceeding.
—Tori Mason, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
At this stage, your vending business is a functioning, revenue-generating enterprise, which significantly lowers adjudicatory risk.
—Raheel Sheikh, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Melinda Fulmer, Robb Report, 11 June 2026
In reality, goodwill is foundational to the functioning of society.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The researchers found that higher BMI over time led to more rapid declines in cognitive functions, memory and executive functioning than what is typically seen in aging adults, such as managing emotions, organizing and planning tasks, concentrating, and more.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026
Pelvic floor disorders can occur when these muscles and tissues are too weak or too tight or don’t facilitate the proper functioning of these organs for other reasons.
—Stacey Colino, Time, 9 June 2026
Additionally, in the new study, speech and executive functioning scores were not predictive of participants’ scores on the MoCA test.
—Laura Bradley, Health, 9 June 2026
Also lying latent was a decline in the bipartisan functioning of Congress.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
Consistent short sleep, however, has been linked to measurable declines in cognitive performance and day-to-day functioning, while chronic sleep deprivation is associated with more serious long-term health risks.
—Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Most pills — like Prozac for depression or Lipitor for cholesterol — are tiny chemicals that squeeze into a pocket inside a much larger protein to gum up its functioning.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
Emily McLeod, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Instead of functioning solely as cars, the Neue Klasse EVs will also serve as mobile energy storage units.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Part of what the board is supposed to do is think about the Center functioning properly.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Much of the discussion tied back to the importance of giving Afghan immigrants the opportunity to become functioning members of their communities by getting jobs, creating businesses, becoming educated, learning English and understanding the country’s culture.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2026
As with the symptoms of anxiety, the causes of high-functioning anxiety vary greatly.
—Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 14 June 2026
Coastal and transportation adaptation is a fifth, covering ports, airports, rail corridors, and highways that need to keep functioning through more extreme conditions than they were originally engineered for.
—Ravi S. Bhalla, Fortune, 13 June 2026
Unlike many modern stadiums built amid parking lots and highway exits, Folsom sits directly inside a functioning college town.
—Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 13 June 2026
The village of Oak Park shut down the West Suburban Medical Center building Thursday, after the hospital’s last functioning elevator stopped working — forcing the remaining patients there to find care elsewhere.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Adjective
The location had critical issues with non-functioning refrigeration units, which led to food being stored at unsafe temperatures, city officials said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2026
Collins says cleaning a functioning or newer dryer once every two years is sufficient to clear our major blocks and prevent more serious complications, such as clogs that can lead to fires.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2026
Investigators say the error was compounded by non-functioning signal systems along with failures in staffing, oversight and maintenance during years of delays in safety upgrades.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Velasquez said Chait placed a strong emphasis on communication, recalling that district leaders recently sent administrators guidance on reassuring families that schools would remain safe and functioning.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
At the same time, Maguire ventured into opposition territory to serve as an emergency centre-forward — rarely a sign of a functioning game plan.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
New Yorkers deserve and require a fully functioning and cohesive government.
—Kirsten John Foy, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
Police say the driver stopped at the non-functioning signal but did not see the teen in the crosswalk before proceeding.
—Tori Mason, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
At this stage, your vending business is a functioning, revenue-generating enterprise, which significantly lowers adjudicatory risk.
—Raheel Sheikh, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
Guests complete cognitive-skills assessments that analyze the brain’s processing speed, visual memory, and executive functioning, then move into personalized drills and strategies.
—Melinda Fulmer, Robb Report, 11 June 2026
In reality, goodwill is foundational to the functioning of society.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The researchers found that higher BMI over time led to more rapid declines in cognitive functions, memory and executive functioning than what is typically seen in aging adults, such as managing emotions, organizing and planning tasks, concentrating, and more.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026
Pelvic floor disorders can occur when these muscles and tissues are too weak or too tight or don’t facilitate the proper functioning of these organs for other reasons.
—Stacey Colino, Time, 9 June 2026
Additionally, in the new study, speech and executive functioning scores were not predictive of participants’ scores on the MoCA test.
—Laura Bradley, Health, 9 June 2026
Also lying latent was a decline in the bipartisan functioning of Congress.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
Consistent short sleep, however, has been linked to measurable declines in cognitive performance and day-to-day functioning, while chronic sleep deprivation is associated with more serious long-term health risks.
—Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Most pills — like Prozac for depression or Lipitor for cholesterol — are tiny chemicals that squeeze into a pocket inside a much larger protein to gum up its functioning.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
Verb
Owens said Mableton has already hired staff and created a functioning court and wants certain cases heard there.
—Emily McLeod, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Instead of functioning solely as cars, the Neue Klasse EVs will also serve as mobile energy storage units.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Part of what the board is supposed to do is think about the Center functioning properly.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Much of the discussion tied back to the importance of giving Afghan immigrants the opportunity to become functioning members of their communities by getting jobs, creating businesses, becoming educated, learning English and understanding the country’s culture.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2026
As with the symptoms of anxiety, the causes of high-functioning anxiety vary greatly.
—Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 14 June 2026
Coastal and transportation adaptation is a fifth, covering ports, airports, rail corridors, and highways that need to keep functioning through more extreme conditions than they were originally engineered for.
—Ravi S. Bhalla, Fortune, 13 June 2026
Unlike many modern stadiums built amid parking lots and highway exits, Folsom sits directly inside a functioning college town.
—Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 13 June 2026
The village of Oak Park shut down the West Suburban Medical Center building Thursday, after the hospital’s last functioning elevator stopped working — forcing the remaining patients there to find care elsewhere.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functioning
Adjective
-
True, some if the upside surprise has come from non-operating gains on holdings in huge, private AI pioneers, but not all of it.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
Exxon operates some of the wells directly and holds a financial, non-operating interest in the others.—
Rachel Nostrant,
Houston Chronicle,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The skate party is a perfect activity for everyone to come together.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
-
The unit’s activities were exposed by Israel in 2019.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The private plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City, said Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County Emergency Management Agency director.—
Kristin M. Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
Shortly before midnight on April 27th, two days after a gunman disrupted the White House Correspondents’ dinner, the acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche, submitted an extraordinary petition to a federal court that had blocked the construction of the White House ballroom.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
And commercial inventories have hit operational stress levels.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
-
These systems bring together process controls and operational know-how to help manage plant performance and lower project risks.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Initiative, dubbed a ‘Swiss Brexit,’ sought binding limits by 2050, forcing strict curbs on asylum, family reunification and work permits, potentially dismantling Switzerland’s deal on free movement of people and close EU ties.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
Kogonada, who also wrote and edited the film, built the project around Hong Kong’s particular relationship with memory and movement, taking three days to identify a geography the team could navigate largely on foot.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The series is created and showrun by Yalun Tu, with Marialy Rivas serving as lead director and executive producer.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
-
Once serving the suspension, the NFL did not reinstate him after a domestic violence incident.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
The above scenarios are all post-operative timelines, but not all hamstring injuries are treated surgically.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Post-operative care is provided with a special kit containing shampoos, lotions, and medical products, and the clinic maintains high hygiene standards by sanitizing procedure rooms through ultraviolet technology.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
And Wu-Tang Clan, who headlined the Game 4 halftime show at Madison Square Garden, will take the stage for a musical performance.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
15 June 2026
-
Emmet Sheehan had a strong bounce-back performance before running into trouble in the sixth, and Jack Dreyer failed to bail out the Dodgers in a 6-4 loss to Chicago.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functioning. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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