Definition of operatenext
1
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

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4
as in to utilize
to put into action or service wouldn't dream of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol

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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 The commander operated the main gun, a Puteaux SA 1918 37 mm cannon (or Hotchkiss machine gun), while a FT 31 machine gun was operated by the driver. Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 1 May 2026 SpaceX will pay most… The company most impacted by the user fees will be SpaceX, which owns and operates the vast majority of US launch and reentry vehicles. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026 The company operates globally with studios in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Montreal, Luxembourg, Hyderabad, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 1 May 2026 For example, a Level 2 charger operating at 24 amps would need a circuit of at least 30 amps. Mckynzie Steward, AJC.com, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for operate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operate
Verb
  • First, locate the radiant to the left of the waning moon using a handy smartphone stargazing app.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 2 May 2026
  • For Love in the Time of Cholera, 1989, for instance, Pau uses early Picture-in-Picture (PiP) technology to frame clips from Zuni’s 1988 October/Decameron stage performance, which then float, rotate, and cascade across the screen.
    Pauline J. Yao, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.
    Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The Bruins managed to keep it tight through the end of the first, with the Sabres taking that 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
    Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • My plan was all an act, or more, an enactment of an act that would never be performed.
    Chang-rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
  • After every race, his team analyzes a litany of granular data points, including which skis performed best on what kind of snow and which garments correlated with faster results.
    Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • Imagine if Game of Thrones utilized the mind-altering technology of Westworld to extend the world of your favorite fantasy franchise beyond books, beyond television, into immersive theater-slash-amusement-park entertainment.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
  • To review or object to instances where our partners assert a legitimate interest in utilizing your data, please visit our vendors page.
    Walden Green, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • As Mars meets resistance from Jupiter, trying to handle everything at once backfires.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 4 May 2026
  • This lightweight nylon bag features handles long enough to sit comfortably on your shoulder, a handy exterior pocket, and a top zipper closure to keep all of your belongings secure.
    Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • Staff are on hand 24 hours a day to supervise crafts and games, water sports, reef fishing, cookery classes, crab hunts, and marine biologist excursions.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Also, the researchers sometimes caught the Claudes trying to cheat by simply instructing the strong model directly rather than figuring out ways to get the weak teacher to supervise the strong model.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In Florida, most art students go on to work for Disney World; Carly’s Chateau is a theme park scaled to the domestic.
    Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
  • Amid Paul and Mortensen's ongoing legal battle, the fifth season of Mormon Wives temporarily halted production in March after several cast members refused to work with Paul, sources told PEOPLE at the time.
    Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • The ruling only applies to two companies and Washington state, but the decision could prompt more legal challenges.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 8 May 2026
  • This article was generated by the CA Earthquake Bot, software that analyzes structured information, such as data, and applies it to articles based on templates created by journalists in the newsroom.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Operate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operate. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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