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
Relevance
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
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 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
-
Another portion of the penalties stems from MSC’s failure to clearly state the applicable rates or rules for non-operating reefers (NORs) when publishing its tariffs.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The skate party is a perfect activity for everyone to come together.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
-
At the same time, respondents estimated that more than 6,400 jobs in fabrication, installation, and related construction activity are at risk.—
Steve Swedberg,
Fortune,
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
-
The private plane, a Pacific Aerospace 750XL, was operated by Skydive Kansas City, according to Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County Emergency Management Agency director, the Associated Press reported.—
Robert Blankenship,
The Washington Examiner,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Functioning as a modular toolkit, each module can be applied independently or concurrently—allowing phased adoption aligned with operational goals and capital availability.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The incident is usually limited to one operational period in the control phase.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
11 Dec. 2025
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
-
Shortly after qualifying, Gilbert spoke with CBS News Miami's Jim DeFede and argued that his experience leading Miami Gardens and serving on the Miami-Dade County Commission distinguishes him from the rest of the field.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
In part, said O’Connell, who also underwent three months of post operative cardiac rehabilitation at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, the ease of recovery was attributable to the way the robotic surgery can be done.—
Helen I. Bennett,
Hartford Courant,
31 May 2026
-
But with less on his schedule this offseason, Brady seems determined to have an operative role in turning the Raiders around.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
29 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
-
Their earliest performances could be fun and irreverent, too, but Boy George says they were also marred by ignorant, homophobic heckling.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functioning. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
