as in served
to have a certain purpose
the heart functions as a pump for the blood
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Recent Examples of functioned
Opened in 2019, The Artisan’s Palate has functioned as a true community space, where NoDa visitors and hipsters alike converge to take in art and globally inspired, locally sourced small plates.
—
Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
Before employers expanded coverage and before Costco entered the picture, everyday women started documenting their fertility journeys publicly — on TikTok, Instagram, and in Facebook groups that functioned as digital support networks.
—Allison Palmer
march 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Mar. 2026
The passageway functioned as a social hub — a place for passing through, chatting, and socializing.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 9 Mar. 2026
Located in Eastlake Park, Phoenix’s first historically Black community, the restaurant has functioned as a home away from home for its regulars and for celebrities like Aretha Franklin, Charles Barkley and Jesse Jackson.
—Bahar Anooshahr, AZCentral.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Filmmakers’ jackets have long functioned as cultural markers in film circles, commemorating key moments in a director or producer’s career.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 5 Mar. 2026
This tool functioned only so long as a person was inside it; otherwise, pipeline workers would swoop in and quickly demolish it.
—Robert Moor, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
These acts of naming, monumentalizing, and commemorating functioned at multiple scales as grassroots recognition, state propaganda, and artistic homage.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
For six decades, USAID functioned as Washington’s development backbone on the continent — imperfect, often bureaucratic, but central to US influence in health, education, and governance.
—Alexanderia Baker-Haidara, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
Before employers expanded coverage and before Costco entered the picture, everyday women started documenting their fertility journeys publicly — on TikTok, Instagram, and in Facebook groups that functioned as digital support networks.
—Allison Palmer
march 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Mar. 2026
The passageway functioned as a social hub — a place for passing through, chatting, and socializing.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 9 Mar. 2026
Located in Eastlake Park, Phoenix’s first historically Black community, the restaurant has functioned as a home away from home for its regulars and for celebrities like Aretha Franklin, Charles Barkley and Jesse Jackson.
—Bahar Anooshahr, AZCentral.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Filmmakers’ jackets have long functioned as cultural markers in film circles, commemorating key moments in a director or producer’s career.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 5 Mar. 2026
This tool functioned only so long as a person was inside it; otherwise, pipeline workers would swoop in and quickly demolish it.
—Robert Moor, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
These acts of naming, monumentalizing, and commemorating functioned at multiple scales as grassroots recognition, state propaganda, and artistic homage.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
For six decades, USAID functioned as Washington’s development backbone on the continent — imperfect, often bureaucratic, but central to US influence in health, education, and governance.
—Alexanderia Baker-Haidara, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functioned
Verb
-
The attack on the Michigan synagogue took place on the same day as a former Army National Guard member who served years in prison for attempting to aid the Islamic State group opened fire on a classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia, killing one person and wounding two others.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
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But that skepticism served as fuel for some Horned Frogs like leading scorer David Punch.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the speed and the solidarity with which states came forward suggest the states don’t feel like the DOJ acted competently.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The company acted with urgency to expand beyond beer into the fast-growing categories of non-alcoholic beer and ready-to-drink choices.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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De Jesus worked around a one-out single and walk with a pair of strikeouts to strand two runners in the fourth.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
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In 2025, Leidos also worked with VML to develop Imperium, an artificial intelligence platform designed to support US information operations.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functioned. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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