According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed for operating a semiconductor memory device. The semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a stacked body, a memory film, a channel body, a select transistor, and a wiring. The method can boost a potential of the channel body by applying a first erase potential to the wiring, the select gate, and the word electrode layer. In addition, after the boosting of the potential of the channel body, with the wiring and the select gate maintained at the first erase potential, the method can decrease a potential of the word electrode layer to a second erase potential lower than the first erase potential.