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
Sanah Faroke, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024
Other goodies, like this Tumi backpack, which could be a good carry-on bag, and a Clinique skincare set for your foundation-free summer, are on sale.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 10 May 2024
Mack hid her wedding dress in her handheld garment bag and Selleck flew in with only a carry-on to avoid suspicion.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
But the briefcase is too wide to satisfy the carry-on requirements at most airlines, regardless.
—Brandon Widder, The Verge, 3 May 2024
Remember that you are usually allowed a personal item in addition to the carry-on.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 3 May 2024
This time, Cherelle organized only the big roller bags, leaving Griner responsible for her carry-ons.
—J Wortham January Lavoy Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 2 May 2024
This affordable, multifunctional pack is lightweight but can hold a lot and easily fit under an airline seat as a carry-on.
—Gabrielle Porcaro, Glamour, 29 Apr. 2024
Airplane cabin temperature is notoriously fickle, quickly oscillating from hot to cold, so don’t forget to keep a cozy cardigan tucked into your carry-on suitcase.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 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
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
The bridge features a double-track railway on the lower deck, while two lanes of road traffic are carried on the upper deck.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 10 May 2024
Confidently taking the reins from Matt Reeves and jumping ahead by several generations, director Wes Ball carries on that tradition in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
But the firm’s history offers a cautionary tale: A decade earlier, the Wii U failed to carry on the success of the Wii, another of Nintendo’s biggest hits.
—Takashi Mochizuki, Fortune Asia, 7 May 2024
He was removed as a conservator of her estate in September 2021, and the legal arrangement was terminated altogether more than two years ago, but the fallout over accounting issues and legal fees carried on in court until last week.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2024
Undaunted, Nadia carried on her search, crisscrossing the country posting flyers.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2024
Just keep calm, carry on and trust your more-than-capable cast over fancypants sports-movie spectacle.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2024
Noun
Designed with a slim build, the water bottle fits nicely in my backpack or carry-on, too.
—Sanah Faroke, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024
Other goodies, like this Tumi backpack, which could be a good carry-on bag, and a Clinique skincare set for your foundation-free summer, are on sale.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 10 May 2024
Mack hid her wedding dress in her handheld garment bag and Selleck flew in with only a carry-on to avoid suspicion.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
But the briefcase is too wide to satisfy the carry-on requirements at most airlines, regardless.
—Brandon Widder, The Verge, 3 May 2024
Remember that you are usually allowed a personal item in addition to the carry-on.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 3 May 2024
This time, Cherelle organized only the big roller bags, leaving Griner responsible for her carry-ons.
—J Wortham January Lavoy Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 2 May 2024
This affordable, multifunctional pack is lightweight but can hold a lot and easily fit under an airline seat as a carry-on.
—Gabrielle Porcaro, Glamour, 29 Apr. 2024
Airplane cabin temperature is notoriously fickle, quickly oscillating from hot to cold, so don’t forget to keep a cozy cardigan tucked into your carry-on suitcase.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 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
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
The bridge features a double-track railway on the lower deck, while two lanes of road traffic are carried on the upper deck.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 10 May 2024
Confidently taking the reins from Matt Reeves and jumping ahead by several generations, director Wes Ball carries on that tradition in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
But the firm’s history offers a cautionary tale: A decade earlier, the Wii U failed to carry on the success of the Wii, another of Nintendo’s biggest hits.
—Takashi Mochizuki, Fortune Asia, 7 May 2024
He was removed as a conservator of her estate in September 2021, and the legal arrangement was terminated altogether more than two years ago, but the fallout over accounting issues and legal fees carried on in court until last week.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2024
Undaunted, Nadia carried on her search, crisscrossing the country posting flyers.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2024
Just keep calm, carry on and trust your more-than-capable cast over fancypants sports-movie spectacle.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 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 15 May. 2024.
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