Drive
Operate
Operate verb - To control the mechanical operation of.
Usage example: do not operate heavy machinery, including cars, after taking this medication
Drive is a synonym for operate in work topic. You can use "Drive" instead a verb "Operate", if it concerns topics such as run, manage. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
- A commercial for a new medicine for kids ten-and-under with ADHD included this warning: "do not drive or operate heavy machinery while using this medicine".
Source: Do Not Attempt - Universal Driver's License The hero will know how to drive or operate any vehicle, regardless of its general control scheme.
Source: Action/Adventure Tropes -
As long as a tank has at least 2 crew still alive, it can continue to fight at reduced efficiency, but there's no tank where a single person can drive and operate the weapons at the same time.
Source: Video Game / War Thunder
Cite this Source
Operate and Drive. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/drive/operate
Drive & Operate. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/drive/operate>.
Operate or Drive. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/drive/operate.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "drive" and "operate" have occurred on timeline