operated

verb

past tense of operate
1
as in used
to control the mechanical operation of do not operate heavy machinery, including cars, after taking this medication

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2
as in managed
to look after and make decisions about it takes years to learn how to operate that kind of business so that it makes money

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3
as in worked
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in utilized
to put into action or service wouldn't dream of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 operated This sonic machine—a pneumatic system operated by wind and air—is partially concealed inside walls. — Thomas Patier, Artforum, 9 Oct. 2026 The Crown Estate is an independent company established by Parliament to manage a vast portfolio of properties throughout the United Kingdom that is nominally owned by the sovereign during his lifetime but is operated for the benefit of taxpayers. — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Madison Square Garden ranked third but is operated separately from the Knicks. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026 And when new subdivisions and commercial buildings are built, that adds to the permanent infrastructure that must be operated, inspected, maintained, repaired, upgraded and restored for decades. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Many shelters are operated by nonprofit organizations but owned by the city or private entities, limiting the nonprofit’s ability to make needed improvements. — Jeffrey Ginsburg, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 The Manatee project, operated by Shell, is expected to bring new gas to market, supported by NGC’s $177 million Beachfield Upgrade Manatee project. — Panorama Media Ltd, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 According to interviews and records, Perera built an off-the-books real estate and construction business, parts of which operated in Ohio. — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026 This was before Amazon, and Kmart operated roughly 2,200 stores by 2000. — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operated
  1. used
  2. managed
  3. worked
  4. utilized
  5. handled
  6. controlled
  7. performed
  8. applied
Verb
  • Thousands of people marched through central Brussels in a protest that was largely peaceful, although some scuffles broke out with police, who used tear gas and water cannons in some instances.
    — Makini Brice, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • To fix this, researchers used Bayesian hierarchical distance sampling.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of used
Verb
  • Cybersecurity And Functional Safety Are Converging Cybersecurity and functional safety have traditionally been managed as separate disciplines, although today they are increasingly considered part of the same operational risk environment.
    — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • After the initial disclosure, Acme took several meetings with a mix of studios and filmmakers eager to understand how a project managed to dramatically lower costs.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of managed
Verb
  • Then Brice Turang worked a full count and hit an opposite-field double.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Rowling is not participating in the doc, which will instead use archive material, her writing and interviews with some of those who have worked with her.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of worked
Verb
  • There is also an elevator, although it’s best utilized as a dumbwaiter for luggage and is not recommended for guest use.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • New processes like StoryCamera, StoryPerformance and StoryLighting have been created and were utilized in the several minutes of work-in-progress footage the panel showcased.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of utilized
Verb
  • Western Commissioner Rick Lett said the event permit application has been handled with guidance from the county's legal adviser, and that if the H Highway bridge had been out, the county likely would have denied the application.
    — Glory Reitz, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The late Margot Bettauer Dembo handled NYRB’s previous Seghers translations; Lucy Jones has taken over, and excellently conveys the incisive bite of the writing.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of handled
Verb
  • Cologne police spokesman Christoph Bermel said the two male teenagers have not been charged but are considered suspects, and investigators were examining whether the robot's movements were preprogrammed or controlled in real time.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Crimes reported on Cornell's campus are generally investigated by campus police, a department that has full law enforcement powers but is controlled by the university.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of controlled
Verb
  • With distinct shapes for Bordeaux, Burgundy, Syrah/ Shiraz, Riesling, Chianti Classico, Sauvignon Blanc, Cognac, and Brandy, Vinum shifted how sommeliers performed their duties—and how the rest of us drank wine.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The recycled cells performed comparably to batteries built using materials recovered from conventional fluorine-containing binders.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of performed
Verb
  • In July, new tariffs were applied to all EU steel imports in an effort to protect the continent’s industry from cheaper foreign competition.
    — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Introduced in the 1890s, the law has rarely been applied to media organizations, particularly regarding their coverage.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of applied

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Cite this Entry

“Operated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operated. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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