1
as in acted out
to behave badly
a toddler crying and carrying on in the store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in persisted
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 managed
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 carried on
The West Africa branch, for instance, has carried on as usual.
—
E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The trend carried on into the second quarter, as sophomore Will Palmer drilled a three-pointer with five minutes to play in the half as the Skippers constructed a 30-20 lead.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
And that is the legacy Mike T carried on.
—Willie Colon, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Unable to turn back against the strong currents of the Napo, the party, now reduced to just 50, carried on downriver toward the Amazon.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
In Russia, Cuba, Iran, Belarus, and Uganda, dictatorships have carried on for decades—oppressing and killing their people, attacking their neighbors, and destabilizing their regions.
—Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
As the leader of such bands as Dead and Company, Phil Lesh and Friends, Further, Rat Dog and Wolf Bros, Weir carried on the Dead’s legacy following the sudden death of bandmate Jerry Garcia in 1995.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 10 Jan. 2026
As a downpour carried on outside, around two dozen residents — including a few members of the Historic Preservation Commission and Geneva Ald.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Some of the injured were carried on stretchers to waiting cars.
—NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The trend carried on into the second quarter, as sophomore Will Palmer drilled a three-pointer with five minutes to play in the half as the Skippers constructed a 30-20 lead.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
And that is the legacy Mike T carried on.
—Willie Colon, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Unable to turn back against the strong currents of the Napo, the party, now reduced to just 50, carried on downriver toward the Amazon.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
In Russia, Cuba, Iran, Belarus, and Uganda, dictatorships have carried on for decades—oppressing and killing their people, attacking their neighbors, and destabilizing their regions.
—Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
As the leader of such bands as Dead and Company, Phil Lesh and Friends, Further, Rat Dog and Wolf Bros, Weir carried on the Dead’s legacy following the sudden death of bandmate Jerry Garcia in 1995.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 10 Jan. 2026
As a downpour carried on outside, around two dozen residents — including a few members of the Historic Preservation Commission and Geneva Ald.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Some of the injured were carried on stretchers to waiting cars.
—NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carried on
Verb
-
Administration officials have argued Ross acted out of self-defense, alleging Good was impeding federal law enforcement.—
Amie Parnes,
The Hill,
18 Jan. 2026
-
His observations about the barbarity of women’s beauty regimens aren’t exactly new, but they are acted out with enthusiasm and verve.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Its reservoirs have dropped dramatically as drought has persisted and water use has outstripped the shrinking supply.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In an official update on the city’s winter storm response, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said crews were working around the clock as dangerous conditions persisted.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fortunately, the children have a lot of bruises, scrapes and cuts, all stuff that is easily managed.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Conducted in Troia, Portugal, the trial showcased real-time coordination between autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), all managed through a single, unified command interface.—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Another challenger, OneWeb, is operated by France's Eutelsat and has a constellation of more than 600 satellites.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The organization has leased and operated the five-field complex for more than 50 years.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Hours after the shooting, Noem defended the ICE officer who shot Good, saying the woman had blocked federal officers with her SUV and disobeyed orders to get out of her vehicle.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
9 Jan. 2026
-
One aviation expert argued that IndiGo not only disobeyed the regulations, but also increased its domestic flights without increasing crew and pilots.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Nuro's validation process combines simulation, closed-course testing and supervised on-road driving.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Standard therapeutic doses are typically used for managing Type 2 diabetes or medically supervised weight losses, and generally starts at a higher dose that gradually increases over time.—
Zoe Weiner,
Flow Space,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The end of the prohibition came earlier than originally planned as a group of moderate Republicans rebelled against leadership in September, winning a concession to shorten the length of the pause by two months.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
22 Jan. 2026
-
In Spanish Santo Domingo, the first slave society in the Americas, Africans on a sugar plantation owned by Christopher Columbus’s son rebelled on Christmas Day 1521.—
Laurent Dubois,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The annual point-in-time count, which is imperfect but offers a snapshot of homelessness, is conducted in late January each year.—
Jon Murray,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Kristi Noem may have to fall on her sword, but a major reset of how ICE operations in Minneapolis are conducted is the best way to get the country back on track in terms of enforcing immigration law.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Carried on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carried%20on. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
