car·ry-on
ˈker-ē-ˌȯn 
ˈka-rē-,
-ˌän
1
British
: carrying-on
2
: a piece of luggage suitable for being carried aboard an airplane by a passenger
: carried or suitable for being carried aboard
carry-on baggage
carried on; carrying on; carries on
: to continue doing, pursuing, or operating
carry on research
carried on the business
1
: to continue especially in spite of hindrance or discouragement
chose to carry on despite the weather
2
: to behave or speak in a foolish, excited, or improper manner
shocked at how he carries on
Synonyms
Examples of carry-on in a Sentence
Noun
the airline allows two carry-ons per person
Verb
a toddler crying and carrying on in the store
she bravely carried on despite the loss of her husband
Recent Examples on the Web
Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 24 May 2024
Save up to 75 percent on hundreds of carry-on, medium, and large soft- and hard-sided spinner suitcases from travel giants like Tumi, Travelpro, Calpak, and more.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2024
Prime members can scoop up tons of great finds, but some of our favorites include a Samsonite carry-on, a nifty electric spin scrubber, and a set of clever storage bags that are less than $3 apiece thanks to a stackable coupon.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 24 May 2024
What often seems like a low price can quickly add up when adding carry-on baggage or seat selection.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 22 May 2024
Ryan Watson, of Oklahoma, was arrested on April 24 after hunting ammunition was allegedly found in his carry-on bag before flying home with his wife.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 21 May 2024
Each flyer going through a checkpoint is asked to place items from their pockets such as wallets, phones, keys and coins in either a bin or their carry-on bag.
—Jay L. Zagorsky, The Conversation, 20 May 2024
That's usually a tablet, headphones, coloring book, putty, and action figures in his own carry-on.
—Jill Robi, Parents, 18 May 2024
Designed with a slim build, the water bottle fits nicely in my backpack or carry-on, too.
—Sanah Faroke, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024
Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2023
On Friday morning at Norfolk International Airport in Virginia, a feline was discovered inside a passenger’s carry-on bag during a security screening.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 3 Mar. 2023
Like most LCCs, Norse Atlantic charges extra for many add-ons to your reservation, including carry-on and checked baggage, seat assignments and onboard food and refreshments on the cheapest tickets.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2023
Due to a risk of overheating, the FAA says spare lithium metal and lithium-ion batteries, including external battery packs and cellphone charging cases, must be placed in carry-on bags only.
—Hannah Sampson, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Mar. 2023
As a rule of thumb, an empty carry-on that's six pounds or less is considered lightweight.
—Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 2 Mar. 2023
Louisa Ballou Half Moon One-Piece Swimsuit Now 75% Off Megan Thee Stallion, Bella Hadid, and Dua Lipa are just a sample of the celebrities who pack Louisa Ballou's botanical swimwear in their vacation carry-on bags.
—Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Mar. 2023
Economy light follows the model of barebones economy, which allows passengers to bring one small carry-on only.
—Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Feb. 2023
Depending on the seating, there can be fees for carry-on and checked bags.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2023
David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2024
As the world is threatened by the sudden appearance of a mysterious alien mothership above Tokyo, the best friends try to carry on much as normal.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 20 May 2024
Oakland has given birth to new artists who are eager to carry on the tradition.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 19 May 2024
The flame will be carried on a 79-day journey across France and its territories, culminating in Paris with the start of the Olympic Games on July 26.
—Catherine Porter Dmitry Kostyukov, New York Times, 16 May 2024
For too long, the American public has had to carry on while these deficiencies have gone unattended.
—James Anderson, TIME, 15 May 2024
After Beckwith’s speech, the celebration carried on with the event’s official afterparty, featuring DJ Princess Cut and the Grammy Award-winning DJ Drama.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 4 May 2024
Little Chef, in Phoenix's Garfield neighborhood, closed in August 2023 so the owners could carry on with their food truck, Culinary Theory.
—Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
Because, while the apes of the Eagle Clan don’t know their kind’s past, other apes are trying to carry on a misremembered legacy or twist history for their own ends.
—James Grebey, TIME, 10 May 2024
Noun
Liquids, aerosol, gels, creams and pastes are allowed in carry-on bags as long as each item is 3.4 ounces or less and placed in one quart-sized bag.
—Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 24 May 2024
Save up to 75 percent on hundreds of carry-on, medium, and large soft- and hard-sided spinner suitcases from travel giants like Tumi, Travelpro, Calpak, and more.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2024
Prime members can scoop up tons of great finds, but some of our favorites include a Samsonite carry-on, a nifty electric spin scrubber, and a set of clever storage bags that are less than $3 apiece thanks to a stackable coupon.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 24 May 2024
What often seems like a low price can quickly add up when adding carry-on baggage or seat selection.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 22 May 2024
Ryan Watson, of Oklahoma, was arrested on April 24 after hunting ammunition was allegedly found in his carry-on bag before flying home with his wife.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 21 May 2024
Each flyer going through a checkpoint is asked to place items from their pockets such as wallets, phones, keys and coins in either a bin or their carry-on bag.
—Jay L. Zagorsky, The Conversation, 20 May 2024
That's usually a tablet, headphones, coloring book, putty, and action figures in his own carry-on.
—Jill Robi, Parents, 18 May 2024
Designed with a slim build, the water bottle fits nicely in my backpack or carry-on, too.
—Sanah Faroke, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024
Adjective
The compact case is smaller than a credit card, so it can easily be slid into your carry-on, personal item, or even your pocket without adding bulk.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2023
On Friday morning at Norfolk International Airport in Virginia, a feline was discovered inside a passenger’s carry-on bag during a security screening.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 3 Mar. 2023
Like most LCCs, Norse Atlantic charges extra for many add-ons to your reservation, including carry-on and checked baggage, seat assignments and onboard food and refreshments on the cheapest tickets.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2023
Due to a risk of overheating, the FAA says spare lithium metal and lithium-ion batteries, including external battery packs and cellphone charging cases, must be placed in carry-on bags only.
—Hannah Sampson, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Mar. 2023
As a rule of thumb, an empty carry-on that's six pounds or less is considered lightweight.
—Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 2 Mar. 2023
Louisa Ballou Half Moon One-Piece Swimsuit Now 75% Off Megan Thee Stallion, Bella Hadid, and Dua Lipa are just a sample of the celebrities who pack Louisa Ballou's botanical swimwear in their vacation carry-on bags.
—Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Mar. 2023
Economy light follows the model of barebones economy, which allows passengers to bring one small carry-on only.
—Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Feb. 2023
Depending on the seating, there can be fees for carry-on and checked bags.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2023
Verb
In 1998, the company filed for bankruptcy, downsized, reorganized, and carried on.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2024
As the world is threatened by the sudden appearance of a mysterious alien mothership above Tokyo, the best friends try to carry on much as normal.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 20 May 2024
Oakland has given birth to new artists who are eager to carry on the tradition.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 19 May 2024
The flame will be carried on a 79-day journey across France and its territories, culminating in Paris with the start of the Olympic Games on July 26.
—Catherine Porter Dmitry Kostyukov, New York Times, 16 May 2024
For too long, the American public has had to carry on while these deficiencies have gone unattended.
—James Anderson, TIME, 15 May 2024
After Beckwith’s speech, the celebration carried on with the event’s official afterparty, featuring DJ Princess Cut and the Grammy Award-winning DJ Drama.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 4 May 2024
Little Chef, in Phoenix's Garfield neighborhood, closed in August 2023 so the owners could carry on with their food truck, Culinary Theory.
—Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
Because, while the apes of the Eagle Clan don’t know their kind’s past, other apes are trying to carry on a misremembered legacy or twist history for their own ends.
—James Grebey, TIME, 10 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carry-on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Carry-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carry-on. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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