operate
verb (used without object)
to work, perform, or function, as a machine does.
operated
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past participleof operate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof operate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
operateverb (used without object)to work, perform, or function, as a machine does.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The data show many Hamptons-bound flights operated by companies such as Flexjet traveling at around 1,000 feet, a fraction of the average cruising altitudes they advertise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
It has also heard concerns about the secrecy in which the SAS operated and that previous investigations into the allegations were ended prematurely.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Zoey Tur, a veteran news helicopter pilot who operated the type of helicopter the NBC4 crew was flying, said the sound the microphone picked up was of the engine shutting down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
When at the Treasury, he reported holding a stake in Global Restaurant Management LLC, the parent company of a firm that operated multiple Papa Johns restaurants in Russia at the time.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
The Emalia factory operated around the clock, with mostly non-Jews working days and Schindler's Jews assigned to the night shifts.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
