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

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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

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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

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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 operates Beauty, where product development operates at warp speed comparatively, the beauty executive knows which categories can be fast-tracked to market and which need more time. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026 Both were familiar with the Plaza’s owners, the company which owns and operates Dallas’s historic high-end shopping district, Highland Park Village. — Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026 Steele House operates inside the historic East Sacramento grocery store at 4065 McKinley Blvd. — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026 The battery company already operates seven production facilities in the US, including three standalone sites. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026 Ten of the 26 nursing homes fined in Idaho are owned by Cascadia, which operates 25 nursing homes across the state. — Matan Josephy, Idaho Statesman, 31 Aug. 2026 Located about 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Sweden’s northernmost city operates on an entirely different scale from the urban centers of the south. — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Clive Ibizugbe, who operates under the pseudonym Big Groove, ate his way through the city, sharing the journey in his slapstick style with more than 2 million followers. — Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The authority owns the 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena, which operates through a public-private partnership with DePaul University. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 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
  • Pieces must be shaped, dried, fired, glazed, fired again and tested; Przenioslo uses a community kiln and gives herself at least two months to prepare a collection.
    — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Vita uses textiles, performance and video to speak about internet culture, along with stunning visuals that incorporate their family’s Middle Eastern diaspora and history.
    — Shelley Holcomb, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of uses
Verb
  • In the end, however, Neto manages to round Ferdi Kadioglu, setting up Joao Pedro for a great chance.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The multi-strategy fund made a name for itself through activism and manages roughly $80 billion.
    — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of manages
Verb
  • How the fake MyChart results scam works One campaign starts with a message that looks routine.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The term works best when the player on the move is important to their team, perhaps a fan favourite, but has buckled at the idea of joining (insert ‘bigger’ club).
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of works
Verb
  • To test whether this applies to quantum objects too, the scientists needed to carry out the same experiment on a quantum object.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The same principle applies to optical fiber sensing, just with much greater sensitivity.
    — Pawel Maniewski, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of applies
Verb
  • Loading silverware handles down and usable ends up ensures maximum cleanliness but may lead to accidents.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Investing features can be built into an app or other service, while a brokerage firm handles the transactions.
    — David Schepp, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of handles
Verb
  • The State Board of Education supervises public education in Michigan and appoints the state superintendent.
    — Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of supervises
Verb
  • What is particularly clever about the Blue Economy VITAL is that the same thermal infrastructure also performs other heavyweight tasks, including desalination.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Their experiments used three independent quantum routers and a two-layer network to examine how the approach performs on existing hardware.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of performs
Verb
  • Columbia Sportswear utilizes proprietary Omni-Freez Zero technology, which uses special polymer rings embedded in the fabric that react with sweat to pull heat away from the body.
    — David Moin, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The paradigm actually utilizes data loss and environmental decoherence to identify the most optimal computational solutions.
    — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 28 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 7 Sep. 2026.

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