1
2
as in to manage
to look after and make decisions about
it takes years to learn how to operate that kind of business so that it makes money
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
as in to utilize
to put into action or service
wouldn't dream of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of operate
Dead Ringers, which marked a new peak of technical and dramatic sophistication for Cronenberg, has its moments of vintage corporeal unpleasantness (see, and never unsee, the instruments for operating on mutant women).
—
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
That's useful because hydro plants need very little in the way of an external power supply to start operating.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2025
To fight an elusive enemy operating clandestinely at night and from hideouts deep in swamps and jungles, the U.S. military turned to environmental modification technologies.
—Pamela McElwee, The Conversation, 28 Apr. 2025
Maybe the youngest entrepreneur operating a booth, Sophia’s Lemonade Stand, was Sophia Escobar, 8, of Ingleside.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for operate
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
That's useful because hydro plants need very little in the way of an external power supply to start operating.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2025
To fight an elusive enemy operating clandestinely at night and from hideouts deep in swamps and jungles, the U.S. military turned to environmental modification technologies.
—Pamela McElwee, The Conversation, 28 Apr. 2025
Maybe the youngest entrepreneur operating a booth, Sophia’s Lemonade Stand, was Sophia Escobar, 8, of Ingleside.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for operate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operate
Verb
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Mangione handed arriving officers a fake New Jersey ID that was used at the New York City hostel days earlier and was subsequently arrested.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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In this sense, Mario has a permanent weapon to use, rather than needing to seek out power-ups for projectile offense.—
Mitch Wallace,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The two brands managed just 917,598 sales in 2024, versus 1,343,959 in 2019, according to S&P Global Mobility.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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In the one and only trial run, conducted in 1987, emergency squads managed to erect only a fraction of the necessary infrastructure.—
Jessi Jezewska Stevens,
The Dial,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Their offense, though, is performing below league average.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Each task is repeated about 50 times, and patients might perform a total of 300 repetitions in a single session, Subramani Seetharama, a rehabilitation specialist at Hartford HealthCare, said.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The secret is that Costco utilizes only roasted almonds to yield a rich, somewhat sweet spread without any additives, including salt, sugar, or oils.—
Joey Skladany,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2025
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Green is a versatile player out of Marshall, and Gannon could utilize his speed and power to disrupt the pocket. 17.—
Fox News Staff,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But as Trump approaches the 100-day mark of his second term, most Americans are expressing little to no confidence in how the president is handling the economy, a Pew Research Center survey shows.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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During a press conference on Wednesday, the China Manned Space Agency announced the astronaut selected will be a payload specialist, handling daily tasks during the mission, as well as scientific experiments for Pakistan.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But, because the government would need time to craft new rules and infrastructure, the court would temporarily supervise the detention of minors.—
Jack Herrera,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2025
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Holmes argues the church failed to supervise Lorch and, worse yet, retained him, thus enabling Lorch to allegedly inflict even more harms.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Thematically, the fractured friendship works well in a story that is so much about the joys of friendship and the pain of a camaraderie betrayed.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
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Trading Warren and some other top prospects for Alcántara could work, but what next?—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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If an institution like Harvard cannot resist tyranny when applied to it, then who can? KARL (voice-over): The Ivy League University refuses Trump's latest demands, putting billions in federal funding on the line.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2025
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The proposal would apply to single parents earning up to $100,000 per year and couples earning up to $200,000 per year.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Operate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operate. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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