Operate
Operate verb - To control the mechanical operation of.
Usage example: do not operate heavy machinery, including cars, after taking this medication
Work is a synonym for operate in function topic. In some cases you can use "Work" instead the word "Operate" as a verb or a noun, when it comes to topics like perform, behaviour, action, control. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
- In the same episode, Jade tries to operate a jetpack, prompting Jackie to tell her not to operate machines if she doesn't know how they work.
Source: Exact Words / Western Animation - Subverted, though: it's not that da orkz understand how to operate it, they work because da orkz simply believe that they work.
Source: In Working Order - The following abilities are banned, because the rules are either vague or how they operate varies from work to work.
Cite this Source
Work and Operate. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 20, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/operate/work
Operate & Work. N.p., 2016. Web. 20 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/operate/work>.
Work or Operate. 2016. Accessed July 20, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/operate/work.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "operate" and "work" have occurred on timeline