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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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 The service previously operated the EC-130Q for TACAMO duties from 1963 through 1993, according to Lockheed Martin. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026 The team’s last-second win over the Philadelphia Eagles last week in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was organized and operated by the NFL, part of the league’s more standard rotation of all teams playing overseas. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026 By early July, JetBlue operated more than 125 daily departures to over 55 nonstop destinations from FLL, its largest schedule at the airport. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 The missile should be financed by European countries and be deployable on aircraft owned and operated by nonnuclear allies. — Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026 Although created by the state, the program is operated and funded by private insurers. — Kenny Choi, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operated
  1. used
  2. managed
  3. worked
  4. utilized
  5. handled
  6. controlled
  7. performed
  8. applied
Verb
  • The attacker used a pump-action shotgun bought by his mother, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting.
    — HAVEN DALEY, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The shooter used a pump-action shotgun in yesterday's shooting, two law enforcement officials briefed on the case told NBC News.
    — Irene Byon, NBC news, 16 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
  • The new version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been cut from a five-hour show performed across two parts to a single three-hour performance as it is performed on Broadway.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Drexler’s comedic sensibility was shaped, early on, by the vaudeville acts that performed in movie theatres in between screenings.
    — Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of performed
Verb
  • Fundora found room for uppercuts inside and applied pressure through the middle rounds before delivering the decisive left in the final second.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • It must now be applied to those making products that could shape the future of humanity itself.
    — Giorgos Tsetis, Fortune, 17 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 19 Oct. 2026.

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