operate vs care for

operate and care for both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
operate	No	No	Yes	No
care for	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, care for is a hypernym of operate; that is, care for is a word with a broader meaning than operate:

Other hypernyms of operate include treat.

operate (verb)	care for (verb)
perform surgery on	provide treatment for
perform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to secure an advantage in attack or defense	have a liking, fondness, or taste (for)
handle and cause to function	be fond of; be attached to
keep engaged
perform as expected when applied
direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.