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

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2
3
as in to perform
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

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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 operate Lewton's pictures always operate on a psychological level, and his films rely more times than not on the viewers' imaginations to conjure up the terrors being alluded to on screen. Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025 Pierre Louis was allegedly operating the vehicle despite not having a drivers license. Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025 Klesla operated a hotel in his hometown, Nový Jičín, but sold it several years ago. Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 Ragheb did not operate on Katy, but oversaw her treatment. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for operate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operate
Verb
  • However, since the May request, the department has signed a $172 million contract with Gulfstream to buy not one but two used G700 jets.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The breathable cotton quilt is lightweight enough to use year-round, but the warm tones beckon for fall.
    Sheri Kaz, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • So are the county administrators who manage their benefits.
    JR Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The dispute began when Nicklaus sold GBI Investors—which had licensed his intellectual property and managed his golf course design business—to Milstein in 2007.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Although the Peacock adaptation didn't show a full shot of Gacy in his clown costume, the series included scenes of him talking about his passion for dressing up as a clown and publicly performing as one.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
  • In service jobs, Black workers labored as porters, chauffeurs, and servers; in manufacturing plants, white supremacist pseudoscience was harnessed to justify forcing Black workers to perform the most difficult and dangerous work.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The church also proposed adding space for hydroponic farming that would supply produce for the community and terrace farming that could be utilized by the residents.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The Belmont senior midfielder’s red face showed exhaustion from yet another big matchup she was heavily utilized in.
    Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The utility also has detention basins at its Peak Flow Attenuation Facility, located off Scott Hamilton Drive, that are meant to allow the system to handle significant rain events.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Thankfully, our providers handled our pregnancy with so much care and grace knowing our history.
    Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hoban supervised construction of the porticoes on the north and south sides of the building that Latrobe originally designed in 1807.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The children's parents were simply socializing like normal, the man wrote, not supervising the kids at all.
    Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The organization has a partnership with the nonprofit Allbritton Journalism Institute, which sponsors a multi-year class of 20 fellows who work closely with professional journalists in the newsroom.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Now working for United Airlines as an avionics technician at Newark Liberty International Airport, repairing plane engines and electrical systems, the 25-year-old has already doubled her investment in the program and makes over six-figures.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The chain embellishment was applied to multiple styles, be in the short pump or a taller slingback, and stood out against different colors.
    Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Use a mop to apply the bleach solution to the floors, covering a small area at a time and working in a figure-eight or side-to-side pattern.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Operate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operate. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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