1
as in raising hell
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
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Recent Examples of carrying on
The City of Portland’s official account also weighed in, posting that while national media painted a grim picture, daily life was carrying on as usual.
—
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Big thanks to Betty Lin-Fisher and Baily Schulz for carrying on in our absence.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
All that carrying on caused the rusty metal trap to cut further into his leg, which caused a terrible infection.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
On the streets of Caracas, word of the US strike is on everyone’s lips, but beyond being a popular talking point most people here are keeping calm and carrying on – while doing their best to stay afloat.
—Andrew Raine, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
More than just another bourbon For the Jackson Purchase team, making bourbon is about carrying on a legacy of distillation in Kentucky and supporting the local community.
—Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 22 Aug. 2025
But this Lutheran church some 120 miles above the Arctic Circle seeks to incorporate the region's minority languages -- Northern Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli -- into worship services, carrying on an inclusive ethos that has been a cornerstone of the historic wooden church since its founding in 1912.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Aug. 2025
The musician handled the slight interruption like a pro, appearing confused before carrying on.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
In 2015, the country's Odense Zoo made international headlines for its decision to kill and publicly dissect a 9-month-old female lion in front of school children, as a means to control the facility's lion population – a practice the zoo had been carrying on for decades.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Big thanks to Betty Lin-Fisher and Baily Schulz for carrying on in our absence.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
All that carrying on caused the rusty metal trap to cut further into his leg, which caused a terrible infection.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
On the streets of Caracas, word of the US strike is on everyone’s lips, but beyond being a popular talking point most people here are keeping calm and carrying on – while doing their best to stay afloat.
—Andrew Raine, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
More than just another bourbon For the Jackson Purchase team, making bourbon is about carrying on a legacy of distillation in Kentucky and supporting the local community.
—Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 22 Aug. 2025
But this Lutheran church some 120 miles above the Arctic Circle seeks to incorporate the region's minority languages -- Northern Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli -- into worship services, carrying on an inclusive ethos that has been a cornerstone of the historic wooden church since its founding in 1912.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Aug. 2025
The musician handled the slight interruption like a pro, appearing confused before carrying on.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
In 2015, the country's Odense Zoo made international headlines for its decision to kill and publicly dissect a 9-month-old female lion in front of school children, as a means to control the facility's lion population – a practice the zoo had been carrying on for decades.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carrying on
Verb
-
At the two-week mark, Republicans and Democrats are bracing for a long government shutdown, with both parties seeing more upside in persisting with their conflicting demands.—
Christian Orozco,
NBC news,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Resilience means enduring multiple rejections, both commercial and regulatory, and persisting.—
Jon Stojan,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
According to the latest industry report from the Climbing Business Journal, there were 875 climbing gyms operating across the US, Mexico, and Canada by the end of last year — more than ever before.—
Kelli María Korducki,
HubSpot,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But when her school’s principal suggests that her acting out might be covering up a learning disability, Claire’s mom is hesitant to have her evaluated.—
Sara Rowe Mount,
Parents,
15 Oct. 2025
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Family described Wilks as an only son who was acting out of his character, which is normally soft-spoken and well-mannered.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Taking over for Brady after his retirement following the 2022 season, was Mayfield, who is off to the best start of his NFL career through six games even while managing without several key offensive weapons.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
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Most of those who shaped or even marginally influenced the events of October 7th are gone, leaving Gaza’s authority withered to the point that even managing the hostages has become paralyzingly difficult.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong serve as executive producers for See It Now, with Aysu Saliba and Cara Tortora supervising producers.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
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Going forward, metro Denver will remain the hub for the Mountain West Division, supervising Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Missouri, disobeying traffic lights is considered a moving violation.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The next day, Alex begs Mia to put her on TMS to talk about the deep fake, but Mia won’t, because that would be directly disobeying Stella and Celine’s order for Alex to keep quiet.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Each Murdaugh who served was in charge of prosecuting all criminal cases in the state's 14th circuit district, overseeing Allendale, Colleton, Hampton, Beaufort and Jasper counties.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is overseeing the Manhattan subway expansion, said funding for its tunnel-boring contract has already been approved.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Its general sensibility seems more Superstore than The Office, down to the interstitial montages of customers acting up in the perpetually overcrowded waiting room.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
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Sturm said his back started acting up after the team’s first practice.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Carrying on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carrying%20on. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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