1
as in acting out
to behave badly
a toddler crying and carrying on in the store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in persisting
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 operating
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 carrying on
The brief clip showed off a new cast of characters, beginning with fuzzy television static before exploding into a montage propelled by intense music and kinetic bursts of action, carrying on the spirit of the first season through energetic animation and heavily stylised art.
—
Kambole Campbell,
Variety,
23 June 2026
One was Buck Strickland, Hank Hill’s philandering boss, who has many of LBJ’s characteristics including carrying on conversations while on the toilet.
—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
Now, Françoise is carrying on his legacy.
—
Michael Soncin,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
This, of course, not being the 50-year ban that actually set women’s football back years, but Everton Women carrying on-loan Manchester United full-back Hannah Blundell out in a suitcase-cum-coffin before their World Sevens semi-final against United on Saturday and resurrecting her.
—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Its all-metal build is significant in competing with the Neo and carrying on the XPS build quality in a less expensive machine.
—
Matthew Buzzi,
PC Magazine,
1 June 2026
And the women were just carrying on and becoming more proactive.
—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
But life was carrying on, Diane said.
—
Sarah Dahlberg,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
While the theater seeks a new space, fellow indie theater Central Cinema is carrying on the screenings with 60 percent of its ticket sales going to Grand Illusion’s relocation fund.
—
Donald Liebenson,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Kambole Campbell,
Variety,
23 June 2026
One was Buck Strickland, Hank Hill’s philandering boss, who has many of LBJ’s characteristics including carrying on conversations while on the toilet.
—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
Now, Françoise is carrying on his legacy.
—
Michael Soncin,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
This, of course, not being the 50-year ban that actually set women’s football back years, but Everton Women carrying on-loan Manchester United full-back Hannah Blundell out in a suitcase-cum-coffin before their World Sevens semi-final against United on Saturday and resurrecting her.
—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Its all-metal build is significant in competing with the Neo and carrying on the XPS build quality in a less expensive machine.
—
Matthew Buzzi,
PC Magazine,
1 June 2026
And the women were just carrying on and becoming more proactive.
—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
But life was carrying on, Diane said.
—
Sarah Dahlberg,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
While the theater seeks a new space, fellow indie theater Central Cinema is carrying on the screenings with 60 percent of its ticket sales going to Grand Illusion’s relocation fund.
—
Donald Liebenson,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carrying on
Verb
-
But parents could make a lesson out of going on a trip to the bank, or with very young children, Tsuei recommends pretend play, such as acting out buying toys from a store.
-
But, again, is acting out of expediency and the desire to streamline a conclusive end the same as delivering a final season representing the best of The Bear?
Verb
-
There is, however, already a moderate risk of extreme heat persisting through Sunday in parts of western, west-central and southern Illinois, according to the weather service’s prediction center.
-
In all of them, Sugar sees the human spirit persisting through layer upon layer of loneliness, carnage, and grief.
Verb
-
Wayne County prosecutors charged 29-year-old Nicholas Alexander Lee-Nathan with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death, and two counts of reckless driving causing death.
-
That playbook still works for some businesses, particularly those operating in sectors that continue to attract significant venture interest or those pursuing opportunities that require substantial upfront investment.
Verb
-
Santana-Mateo was booked on charges of breach of peace, engaging police in a pursuit, disobeying the direction of officer, reckless driving, failure to obey a stop sign, failure to drive right, failure to obey a traffic control signal and driving the wrong way on a one way.
-
Icarus disobeying his father Daedalus and flying too close to the sun.
Verb
-
Portugal’s biggest warning sign came in their final clash, with Colombia managing 24 shots on goal — their most recorded in a World Cup game.
-
There’s less enthusiasm for FIFA’s role in managing the World Cup.
Verb
-
Baye continued acting up until 2023.
-
The capsule’s toilet is already acting up.
Verb
-
Nadella is also supervising major changes in units such as Xbox and has become more hands-on with product development.
-
Army investigations have repeatedly pointed to the same factors contributing to fatal training incidents including sleep deprivation, inadequate training and inexperienced leaders supervising high-risk exercises.
Verb
-
From overseeing the Dodgers during one of the franchise's most influential eras to remaining involved in ownership and player development across the sport, the family's impact extended well beyond the major leagues.
-
The judge overseeing the wrongful death civil case that John O'Keefe's family filed against Karen Read admonished more than a dozen lawyers involved in the case on Wednesday.
Cite this Entry
“Carrying on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carrying%20on. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
