operates

verb

present tense third-person singular of operate
1
as in uses
to control the mechanical operation of do not operate heavy machinery, including cars, after taking this medication

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in manages
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
as in works
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
4
as in applies
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

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 operates The plane was carrying out a medical evacuation in Bermuda, said Clarence Togeretz, the director of flight operations at Latitude Air Ambulance, which operates the plane. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 4 Oct. 2026 The Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates the state's three major airports, confirmed that the aircraft did not arrive at Boston Logan International Airport as scheduled. — James Cirrone , Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 The company, which operates similar events in cities around the country, sells digital Crawl Passes for $20. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026 Taiwan receives the first of 66 new F-16Vs Taiwan, for its part, already operates many older 1990s-era F-16A/B Block 20 airframes, most of which have been upgraded over time. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026 The Network operates a strategy of debuting one show at a time and has previously picked up shows such as Steve Coogan’s Chivalry and Esmé Creed-Miles-led The Doll Factory. — Peter White, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026 Bezos Academy now operates more than 40 preschools across Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Texas, and Washington, offering full-day programming for children ages 3 to 5. — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 Moe Alamawi is the founder of Momentum Academy and operates multiple TikTok Shop affiliate accounts. — Moe Alamawi, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 The British tech unicorn, which operates a string of AI-ready data centres in the US and Europe and is backed by the deep pockets of Nvidia, has filed for an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 27 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operates
  1. uses
  2. manages
  3. works
  4. applies
  5. handles
  6. supervises
  7. performs
  8. utilizes
Verb
  • The hotel uses a keyless entry system with self-check-in and virtual guest service.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The theme uses a colloquial phrase almost like a mathematical function.
    — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of uses
Verb
  • Reactor, which emerged from stealth in May, develops software to make world models run faster and cheaper, and sells a cloud service that manages the computing capacity.
    — Wen Shao, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Set the scene Located 10 minutes on foot from Roma Termini, the city’s bustling train station, The Fifteen Keys manages to feel like a quiet retreat in a city that sees millions of tourists each year.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of manages
Verb
  • Though Calvin’s children and sister Ruth (Willow Kean), who works as Snook’s Arms Harbor Master, realize there are very few resources left to hold on to, Calvin digs in his heels, determined to find a way forward.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • But the setup only works with regular, honest conversations about who pays for what.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of works
Verb
  • Haynie may have been responding to reports specific to Syracuse, but his response applies to all colleges.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Accountability applies to everyone, including those who wear our badge.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of applies
Verb
  • California’s Labor Commissioner handles retaliation complaints arising under laws within its jurisdiction.
    — William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • James’ office also handles other criminal work and has the power to investigate every death in the state involving law enforcement.
    — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of handles
Verb
  • Instead of focusing on how many tasks a manager supervises, consider how much high-quality work the team can complete without their direct involvement.
    — Michael Goshka, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Some act like the cool parent who supervises their child’s drug use.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of supervises
Verb
  • In any event, Rothe is crossing her fingers that River’s January box office run performs well enough to reignite talks with Blumhouse and Universal about bringing Landon’s time-loop slasher franchise back to life.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • One day, after Pi-o performs at a hospital, a doctor approaches him to ask how Jeong-yo is doing.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of performs
Verb
  • Tennessee utilizes a single-drug lethal injection protocol centered on the barbiturate pentobarbital, according to the state’s Department of Corrections.
    — Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This led the Doshisha University team to introduce a novel, chemical-reductant-free, single-step pyrolytic method that utilizes agricultural bullrush waste as both a carbonaceous matrix and a gas-phase reduction template.
    — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of utilizes

Browse Nearby Words

operated
operates
operatic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Operates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operates. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of etiquette

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All