as in suitcase
a bag carried by hand and designed to hold a traveler's clothing and personal articles
the airline allows two carry-ons per person
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to raise hell
to behave badly
a toddler crying and carrying on in the store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to persist
to continue despite difficulties, opposition, or discouragement
she bravely carried on despite the loss of her husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to operate
to look after and make decisions about
carries on a business and still manages to run the household
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of carry-on
Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 12 July 2025
Some things, like a neck pillow, tend to just add bulk to my carry-on bag and don't do much for me in the way of comfort.
—Katie Akin, Southern Living, 12 July 2025
EW.com, 8 July 2025
Grit also is carried on Channel 4.3 (Channel 991 on Spectrum cable in southeast Wisconsin).
—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for carry-on
Noun
Shopping editors have tested Away luggage extensively, so that gives me full confidence in this Away carry-on suitcase on wheels.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 12 July 2025
Some things, like a neck pillow, tend to just add bulk to my carry-on bag and don't do much for me in the way of comfort.
—Katie Akin, Southern Living, 12 July 2025
Verb
Anderson is ready to carry on the tradition of the original trilogy, which proved to be quite lucrative for the time.
—EW.com, 8 July 2025
Grit also is carried on Channel 4.3 (Channel 991 on Spectrum cable in southeast Wisconsin).
—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for carry-on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carry-on
Noun
-
But with two league titles and two Silver Ball top-scorer awards safely wrapped up in his suitcase, the Sweden international is in search of a new challenge.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
-
Despite planning out my outfits for every day and night of the trip, my carry-on suitcase was overflowing.—
Rebecca Shinners,
Travel + Leisure,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Yet despite these promising numbers, the gender wealth gap persists, especially among women of color.—
Alejandra Rojas,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
The Perseids are also known for their fireballs, which are larger explosions of light and color that persist longer than an average meteor streak, according to NASA.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
The organization operated the first dental clinic in the U.S. catering to AIDS patients out of a trailer in West Hollywood.—
Tyrone Beason
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
-
Everything from weather satellites to GPS satellites to telecommunications to nuclear missiles and other weapons of war rely on precise timing to operate properly.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Puppies often chew shoes to soothe their gums when teething, while dogs lacking physical or mental stimulation may act out to get a reaction.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
-
Fear around the upcoming adjustment, anticipatory anxiety, and positive emotions such as excitement can also trigger them to act out.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
Australia’s oldest operating planetarium is the Melbourne Planetarium, managed by Museums Victoria since 1965.—
Martin Bush,
Space.com,
5 July 2025
-
His podcast with son and managing partner and pollster Jeremy Zogby can be heard here.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Dogs should be supervised when chewing on a bone, and larger breeds should get large ones to prevent swallowing; there are also plenty of chew toys that have a similar texture to bones, which could be a good alternative.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
-
Labor costs can drop since workers can shift from manual weeding to supervising and maintaining the robots.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
Summer classes and programs are still underway in South Florida and the county’s school zone cameras are still active, just waiting to mail you a ticket for disobeying the speed zone.—
Cordell Jones
July 6,
Miami Herald,
6 July 2025
-
Her word was law and anyone who disobeyed it was punished.—
Carolyn Wells,
Longreads,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
Senior editor Bess Pallares is overseeing the project on Oni’s end.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
Local health officials will also oversee the process to verify that the lead work done in MPS schools is up to standards, Weber said.—
Alison Dirr,
jsonline.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Carry-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carry-on. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share