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 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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