operating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈä-pə-ˌrā-tiŋ How to pronounce operating (audio)
Definition of operatingnext
as in operational
being in effective operation the only operating nuclear power plant in the state

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

operating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of operate
1
as in handling
to control the mechanical operation of do not operate heavy machinery, including cars, after taking this medication

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2
as in managing
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 working
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 using
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 operating
Adjective
That sits on the books of the league’s 32 Equity investment arm, and 1/32 of any gains or losses in the entity flow through the Packers’ non-operating income. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026 True, some if the upside surprise has come from non-operating gains on holdings in huge, private AI pioneers, but not all of it. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 2 June 2026 Exxon operates some of the wells directly and holds a financial, non-operating interest in the others. — Rachel Nostrant, Houston Chronicle, 26 Jan. 2026 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 main reason behind it was an increase in non-operating expenses and higher income tax in the quarter. — Trefis Team, Forbes, 25 Apr. 2022
Verb
McGrew was arraigned July 27 on one count of marine safety - operating while intoxicated causing serious injury, and second offense operating while intoxicated/impaired. — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 31 July 2026 City inspectors soon found site safety issues, including workers who were operating machinery without proper certification and an unpermitted supported scaffold in use, according to the Department of Buildings. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 30 July 2026 Cline said the ordinance would work alongside existing enforcement that allows the city to revoke or withhold licenses to businesses and allows police to issue citations to illegally operating businesses. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026 The force, which is still operating below its target of 5,500 personnel, also recently conducted operations in Delmas where it was also confronted by armed groups. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026 The fund and the retail crypto buyer are operating from the same psychology at different scales. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 July 2026 The delays have pushed many AI developers to invest in private generation, battery storage and microgrids capable of operating independently. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 July 2026 Including the expansion Golden State Valkyries, the sale of the Connecticut Sun to Houston Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta and Mark Walter’s purchase of the Los Angeles Lakers, the WNBA will have 11 teams operating under a dual ownership structure. — Annie Costabile, New York Times, 24 July 2026 To evaluate the models' maximum cybersecurity capabilities, OpenAI intentionally relaxed many of the guardrails normally present in production deployments while operating the systems inside a tightly restricted research environment. — Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operating
  1. operational
  2. handling
  3. managing
  4. working
  5. using
  6. operative
  7. running
  8. supervising
Adjective
  • This can lead to safety and operational concerns that require vigilance to ensure the protection of all meeting participants.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
  • By identifying potential bottlenecks and operational risks in advance, the company expects to improve efficiency while lowering costs and reducing rework.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026
Definition of operational
Verb
  • The demonstration highlights how humanoids could take over repetitive material-handling tasks while fitting into existing industrial workflows.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026
  • And the two meteorologists working that night were handling multiple incidents at once.
    — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 27 July 2026
Definition of handling
Verb
  • The traveler is left managing multiple confirmations, while employees may lack a complete picture of the guest’s plans.
    — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • While none of Zero100′s clients had come under attack in the strait, O’Marah said some had decided to avoid that risk by actively managing inventories and rerouting shipments.
    — Chloe Taylor,Sam Meredith,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 July 2026
Definition of managing
Verb
  • Driving his son’s final path himself, Urrutia was convinced that if the wrong-way detectors had been working that night, his son would still be alive.
    — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • Qiu was known for research working with a cutting-edge technique known as base editing to make custom treatments for children with rare diseases.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Definition of working
Verb
  • Investigators said Summers was using his phone extensively before the crash, driving 73-75 mph, and tested positive for cocaine and opiates.
    — Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026
  • The competition series featured masters of shamanism, tarot, face and foot reading, saju and other divination disciplines competing in challenges that tested their abilities, using tools including fans, bells, dowsing rods and modern-day laptops.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of using
Adjective
  • Splatoon Raiders ditches the series' trademark, competitive multiplayer shooting, to focus entirely on single-player and co-operative raids.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 23 July 2026
  • While some experts remain cautious about banks' long-term commitment, stablecoin on-chain volume is rapidly increasing, with the GENIUS Act's January 2027 operative date marking a crucial future milestone for the industry.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of operative
Verb
  • Social media became a running chronicle of the movement, helping transform an exam grievance into a national conversation.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • In video her family shared on Instagram, several police officers can be seen running toward the commotion while parents clutch their children.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 28 July 2026
Definition of running
Verb
  • Diego Amson, Brad Tiemann and Joe Awgul serve as co-exec producers, Margaret Morales is supervising producer and Benjamin Hurvitz and Melissa Tallerine exec produce for MTV.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 July 2026
  • Officers are working to gather information regarding the circumstances that may have led up to the crash, including who was supervising the children.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
Definition of supervising

Browse Nearby Words

operatic
operating
operation
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Cite this Entry

“Operating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operating. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on operating

Nglish: Translation of operating for Spanish Speakers

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