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 act out
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, 13 Apr. 2026
Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 26 Apr. 2026
The scores don’t show the number of students whose lives have been changed by a teacher and who have been inspired to carry on and not quit school after a tragedy that claimed one of their classmates and friends.
—Jerald McNair, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for carry-on
Noun
Included is this designer cosmetic case that looks big enough to fit all my toiletries yet small enough to go into a carry-on bag.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
The couple carried on despite high waters, a testament to love and resilience in the face of severe weather.
—Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 26 Apr. 2026
The scores don’t show the number of students whose lives have been changed by a teacher and who have been inspired to carry on and not quit school after a tragedy that claimed one of their classmates and friends.
—Jerald McNair, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for carry-on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carry-on
Noun
-
There’s a trolley sleeve on the back to slip over a suitcase, and the waterproof material will keep your items protected no matter how rough the TSA is with it.—
Olivia Dubyak,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
-
These included suitcases full of videogames and electronics, private shopping trips to toy stores, exclusive visits to theme parks, introductions to other celebrities, and interstate and international travel.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Garcia says, acting out the usual blush of so many bewildered men.—
Darío Gael Blanco,
Vanity Fair,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Friends and family say Wright acted out throughout the trial, including missing previous court dates and removing himself from the stand.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But a vast disconnect often persists between brand strategies and factory actualities.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
From the players who persisted through injuries to play to the ones with decisions to go or stay, Brandt Clarke, Drew Doughty, Andrei Kuzmenko and Scott Laughton all discussed their futures.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The last time three carriers operated in the CENTCOM area of responsibility was back in 2003.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Their meteoric rise in just the last year is deeply troubling, and state Attorney General Nick Brown is right to have filed a recent lawsuit to stop Kalshi, one of the largest markets, from operating in Washington state.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Bruins managed to keep it tight through the end of the first, with the Sabres taking that 1-0 lead into the first intermission.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
However, all of the city’s fire stations seemingly disobeyed the mayor by lowering their flags.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Trump had to relent on a scheme to prosecute Fed Chair Jerome Powell for disobeying White House commands to cut interest rates.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Staff are on hand 24 hours a day to supervise crafts and games, water sports, reef fishing, cookery classes, crab hunts, and marine biologist excursions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Also, the researchers sometimes caught the Claudes trying to cheat by simply instructing the strong model directly rather than figuring out ways to get the weak teacher to supervise the strong model.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The county is overseeing design and construction for the cabins project, which is expected to be completed by the summer of 2027.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
According to the Lake County website, the auditor oversees ledgers and records affecting county funds, and oversees duties related to the assessment of property and levy and collection of property taxes, among other roles.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Carry-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carry-on. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
