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

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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

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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 Royal Gorge Route operates year-round with up to four departures daily up and down the gorge. — Jocelyn Rowley, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2026 Ozon is an e-commerce and technology company that operates as an online marketplace selling millions of products. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026 Santos Bravos operates under a division called Hybe Latin America, which is based out of Mexico City, where the band calls home. — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 Naval aviation already operates the AIM-120, while the service has also introduced the longer-range AIM-174. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026 Today, the company operates in more than 5,000 communities across 49 states. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026 Central Health also operates the nonprofit Sendero Health Plans, which offers marketplace insurance to Travis County residents. — Olivia Aldridge, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026 Since then, her former mate, Shadow, has been seen repeatedly with a bald eagle designated KD-1, the Friends of Big Bear Valley, which operates the livecams, said. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are seeking extensive financial damages plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 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 department said the policies encouraged schools to conceal from parents whether their child uses different pronouns and allowed schools to print a different name on diplomas without parental knowledge.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Your immune system needs iron to fight infections, and your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to other organs and tissues.
    — Anahad O’Connor, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of uses
Verb
  • The mall’s owners had sold the property to the Centurion Foundation, which manages real estate and development for universities and hospitals.
    — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • An improbable preparation that somehow manages to be immediately familiar and comforting, this cheeseburger fried rice is a little peek into all the fun going down at Agnes and Sherman in Houston, one of our Best New Restaurants of 2026.
    — Nick Wong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of manages
Verb
  • If the model works, Hund says Rare Ventures will expand to include more diseases and potentially fund more treatments.
    — Brad Quick, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Related Stories The film follows Di Marco’s titular character, a disabled young adult who works as a dominant at a fetish house.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of works
Verb
  • The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning that applies to more than 1 million people in San Diego County, mostly across inland valleys, foothills and mountains where high temperatures will approach or exceed 95 to 114 degrees.
    — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The new minimum applies to more than 50 unsolved homicides and missing-person cases in tribal communities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of applies
Verb
  • Taylor Farms works with hundreds of family farms for its produce and handles processing, packaging and distribution itself.
    — Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As a private entity, LifeWise handles its program independently, including parent opt-ins, locations, scheduling and student transportation.
    — Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of handles
Verb
  • The executive also coordinates and supervises county departments and is responsible for submitting an annual balanced budget to the Legislature.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Bardin also supervises the company’s equity fund, launched in 2025 to finance documentary films and series with commercial potential.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of supervises
Verb
  • The reigning troupe, Rocky Horror in Abundance, currently performs at Avenue 912 at 202 West Ridge Road in Griffith.
    — Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • When applied to reactor exhaust lines, the device performs a task called differential pumping.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of performs
Verb
  • The new research utilizes a combination of coral records extending back 1,000 years plus results from a suite of 12 state-of-the-art climate models to rule out natural climate variability as the cause for El Niño’s recent changes.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Clocking in at 30 minutes, Williams’ Quartet La Jolla is a five-part work that politely utilizes dissonance and sometimes abstract rhythms.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of utilizes

Browse Nearby Words

operated
operates
operatic
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Cite this Entry

“Operates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operates. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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