OPERATING Synonyms: 147 Similar and Opposite Words

operating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈä-pə-ˌrā-tiŋ

Definition of operating

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

as in handling

to control the mechanical operation of do not operate heavy machinery, including cars, after taking this medication

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in working

to produce a desired effect the medicine will take an hour or so to operate the first time you use it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

More than 40,000 Rivian electric delivery vans were operating in Amazon’s network by 2026, up from more than 30,000 at the end of 2025. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026 Leaders may learn the importance of listening while operating within decision processes that leave little room for employee influence. — Gwen Mdinaradze, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Latitude previously confirmed to Fox News Digital that the Gulfstream was operating as a medevac flight and was expected to make the journey from Bermuda to Boston in approximately two hours. — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 For the first time in decades, the US 7th Fleet has no carriers operating in the Indo-Pacific. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Five decades of operating successfully through punishing sanctions have taught the Iranian regime a thing or two about how to cope. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 In a separate development, a crucial oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia that was shuttered by the kingdom earlier this month after coming under attack is once again operating, according to a Saudi government official. — Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026 Daedal ultimately aims to become an instrumentation provider for commercial fusion power, supplying measurement hardware and services as reactors move from experimental machines toward operating power systems. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026 The approval will allow the company to stay in Overland Park after operating in the community for 50 years, Black & Veatch Chairman and CEO Mario Azar said in a statement. — Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for operating

Adjective

Once operational, Starlink’s nationwide low-band spectrum could pose a direct challenge to the three main legacy phone carriers.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
Those values have informed key operational evolutions at Estée Lauder of late.

— Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of operational

Verb

Screen Queensland is on board, with Kismet distributing locally and Cornerstone handling international sales.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max push the boundaries of what mobile phones can do, such as handling on-device Siri AI calculations and running computational photography algorithms to deliver the best possible images.

— Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of handling

Verb

As these agents take on more responsibility, measuring and optimising their output becomes just as important as managing a human team.

— Derya Matras, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
An investment advisor representative, or IAR, is an individual who works at an RIA, managing portfolios and offering investment advice.

— Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of managing

Verb

Graduations and weddings, for example, are another channel that’s working extremely well.

— Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
There is also a kids club providing childcare and kid-friendly activities provided by a team with over eight years experience working with children.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of working

Verb

Their role becomes clear at 21-, 36- and 52-Across, where the clues solve to partial entries, which can be completed only by using the entry spaces of those dash clues.

— Sam Corbin, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2026
In a small farm context, that will be to a grouping of farmers that form a producer unit using the same practices in the same climate.

— SJ Studio, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of using

Adjective

Indeed, with this work the term shift is operative in every way, framing its status as an artwork both transformational and transformed.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
West had coronary artery disease and died due to a combination of the pre-existing illness and post-operative complications a day after having cosmetic surgery.

— Michael Saponara, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of operative

Verb

Ties between the two countries remain strained over their long-running Himalayan border dispute, which erupted into a deadly skirmishes in 2020 that saw soldiers from both sides use rocks and iron rods in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Lighting, of course, is all-LED, with the headlights coming with daytime running lights, with the system automatically switching between daylight running and low beam as conditions require.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of running

Verb

The surge in profits has been driven by robust trading in stocks, bonds and currencies, fees from supervising and advising clients’ investments, underwriting initial public offerings and a pickup in mergers and acquisitions.

— John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
To that end, Gershin added more backgrounds and foley, adding detail and supervising a pass in Dolby Atmos, all along being careful not to betray the intentions of the original work.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of supervising

Browse Nearby Words

operatic

operating

operation

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Operating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operating. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of operating

adjective

verb

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