as in operating
being in effective operation
looked for a functioning washing machine, but the few that weren't broken were in use
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in activity
Related Words
as in acting
to have a certain purpose
the heart functions as a pump for the blood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of functioning
Teresa Liu, Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
At the same time, Maguire ventured into opposition territory to serve as an emergency centre-forward — rarely a sign of a functioning game plan.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
New Yorkers deserve and require a fully functioning and cohesive government.
—Kirsten John Foy, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
Police say the driver stopped at the non-functioning signal but did not see the teen in the crosswalk before proceeding.
—Tori Mason, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The winning team later enjoyed a luxury yacht complete with a private chef, while the losing team slept on the smallest vessel—without a functioning toilet.
—Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The cozy accommodations are stocked with a selection of Southern books and some retain original features like non-functioning fireplaces.
—Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
Immigrants make up nearly one quarter of Illinois’ workforce and are essential to industries that keep communities healthy and functioning.
—Anabel Mendoza, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
The system interprets this visual input and converts it into a functioning, interactive prototype.
—New Atlas, 17 Dec. 2025
Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 9 Mar. 2026
That cycle can affect our cognitive functioning during the day and our metabolism all day long.
—Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 7 Mar. 2026
Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
Amid grave concerns about the functioning of the Strait of Hormuz given Iran’s position and the widening of the conflict, TIME spoke to experts about what the unrest means for global supply chains and consumer prices.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
Startups have built devices that, when implanted, help people with ALS and paralysis move, speak, and expand their overall functioning.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 26 Feb. 2026
Teach Executive Functioning Skills Executive functioning skills—an umbrella term for the set of brain functions that help behavior regulation and goal completion—are essential in any workplace.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 23 Feb. 2026
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, which your body needs for basic functioning.
—Allison Forsyth, Health, 20 Feb. 2026
Research also shows that acts of kindness and volunteerism — serving others — are associated with lower mortality and better physical functioning into old age.
—Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2026
Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
The drug could treat a rare autoimmune condition known as IgAN that prevents the kidneys from functioning properly, sometimes leading to patients needing dialysis or even transplant.
—Angelica Peebles, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
Bits of space debris fly through orbit at up to 18,000 mph, threatening to collide with functioning spacecraft and posing safety risks to astronauts on the International Space Station.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026
Once a high-functioning and skilled Special Forces Mercenary, known for surviving even the most desolate of situations, Creasy is now plagued with intense PTSD.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
Bennett will serve as executive producer across all Lyrical Lemonade programming, functioning as the creative showrunner and guiding the network’s editorial vision.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Greek Yogurt Bowls with Granola, Fruit and Honey No cooking, no real prep and a breakfast that feels like a treat without functioning like one.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Despite these challenges, the verification system continued functioning throughout the entire flight, proving that blockchain technology can reliably operate on lightweight onboard hardware used in autonomous aerial vehicles.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
The Enquirer requested footage of Laurel Playground from the night of the shooting and from two previous nights, one in December 2025 and one in September, in an effort to see if there were functioning cameras near the playground.
—Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Velasquez said Chait placed a strong emphasis on communication, recalling that district leaders recently sent administrators guidance on reassuring families that schools would remain safe and functioning.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
At the same time, Maguire ventured into opposition territory to serve as an emergency centre-forward — rarely a sign of a functioning game plan.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
New Yorkers deserve and require a fully functioning and cohesive government.
—Kirsten John Foy, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
Police say the driver stopped at the non-functioning signal but did not see the teen in the crosswalk before proceeding.
—Tori Mason, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The winning team later enjoyed a luxury yacht complete with a private chef, while the losing team slept on the smallest vessel—without a functioning toilet.
—Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The cozy accommodations are stocked with a selection of Southern books and some retain original features like non-functioning fireplaces.
—Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
Immigrants make up nearly one quarter of Illinois’ workforce and are essential to industries that keep communities healthy and functioning.
—Anabel Mendoza, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
The system interprets this visual input and converts it into a functioning, interactive prototype.
—New Atlas, 17 Dec. 2025
Noun
But the truth about the structure and functioning of the transport channel hadn’t been resolved.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 9 Mar. 2026
That cycle can affect our cognitive functioning during the day and our metabolism all day long.
—Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 7 Mar. 2026
Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
Amid grave concerns about the functioning of the Strait of Hormuz given Iran’s position and the widening of the conflict, TIME spoke to experts about what the unrest means for global supply chains and consumer prices.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
Startups have built devices that, when implanted, help people with ALS and paralysis move, speak, and expand their overall functioning.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 26 Feb. 2026
Teach Executive Functioning Skills Executive functioning skills—an umbrella term for the set of brain functions that help behavior regulation and goal completion—are essential in any workplace.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 23 Feb. 2026
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, which your body needs for basic functioning.
—Allison Forsyth, Health, 20 Feb. 2026
Research also shows that acts of kindness and volunteerism — serving others — are associated with lower mortality and better physical functioning into old age.
—Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
Approving or rejecting candidates from Washington requires a functioning political process, a legitimate transitional authority and a population willing to accept an American imprimatur on their leadership — none of which exists.
—Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
The drug could treat a rare autoimmune condition known as IgAN that prevents the kidneys from functioning properly, sometimes leading to patients needing dialysis or even transplant.
—Angelica Peebles, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
Bits of space debris fly through orbit at up to 18,000 mph, threatening to collide with functioning spacecraft and posing safety risks to astronauts on the International Space Station.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026
Once a high-functioning and skilled Special Forces Mercenary, known for surviving even the most desolate of situations, Creasy is now plagued with intense PTSD.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
Bennett will serve as executive producer across all Lyrical Lemonade programming, functioning as the creative showrunner and guiding the network’s editorial vision.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Greek Yogurt Bowls with Granola, Fruit and Honey No cooking, no real prep and a breakfast that feels like a treat without functioning like one.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Despite these challenges, the verification system continued functioning throughout the entire flight, proving that blockchain technology can reliably operate on lightweight onboard hardware used in autonomous aerial vehicles.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
The Enquirer requested footage of Laurel Playground from the night of the shooting and from two previous nights, one in December 2025 and one in September, in an effort to see if there were functioning cameras near the playground.
—Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functioning
Adjective
-
Last year, though revenue and operating profit increased, non-operating red ink pushed the company into a full-year loss of NT$766 million, or $25 million.—
Russell Flannery,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
The adjusted net income decreased by 8% y-o-y to $3.9 billion in the first nine months of 2022 due to higher expenses as a % of revenues and lower non-operating income.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
11 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
The interactive event will include a variety of activities along with educational booths with information about keeping kids safe, healthy and happy from local first responders to nonprofit organizations, according to a release.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Residents can exchange phone numbers to report suspicious activity promptly or to coordinate help if the power goes out.—
Chuck Page,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Whether singing, acting, or creating a character, Julian demonstrated a deep understanding of storytelling and stagecraft.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Elsewhere, international movies like Norway’s Sentimental Value and Brazil’s The Secret Agent have had good showings, ending up in both the Best Picture and acting races as well.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
These changes should reduce operational complexity and allow faster deployment of mission software.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
-
First introduced as a concept during the 2025 China International Import Expo, the initiative now moves into its operational phase, positioning Jing’an as a new gateway for international beauty innovation and collaboration.—
Johannes Neubacher,
Footwear News,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These systems can detect naval mines and trigger them safely by mimicking the movement and acoustic signals of large ships.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Many key figures were associated with a movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation, which aims to establish Christian dominion over American society and government.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Eligible organizations include nonprofits or other groups with a record of serving the community, particularly those that serve Solana Beach residents.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
On-site restaurant Wanu is intimate and cozy, serving a take on local Afro-fusion cuisine.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His campaign has gained the backing of controversial right-wing radio host and political operative Dan Proft of Naples, Florida, as well as far-right former legislator Jeanne Ives, now a member of the Republican State Central Committee.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The long-standing phrase energy transition remains operative for much of the world—though others reject it.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When the performance ended, the singers stood tall, soaking in the auspicious moment.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
-
In many cases, that push produces incredible feats of athletic performance.—
NPR,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functioning. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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