carry the torch
carry the torch verb: to continue the work or legacy (of a cause); to crusade for a cause. Also the alternative form of carry a torch.
Verb
carry the torch (third-person singular simple present carries the torch, present participle carrying the torch, simple past and past participle carried the torch)
- To continue the work or legacy (of a cause); to crusade for a cause.
- To many it meant that the United States was the chosen nation, selected by God to carry the torch of freedom and battle the evil forces of Communism.2005, Richard J. Ellis, To the Flag, pages 138 – 139
- Entrusted to carry the torch of Disney excellence to Japan, each manager is in the United States for an extended training and orientation program.2013, Doug Lipp, Disney U, page 144
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see carry, the, torch.
Also used as
carry the torch is also the alternative form of carry a torch.
Forms of carry the torch
| third-person singular present | carries the torch |
|---|---|
| present participle | carrying the torch |
| past participle | carried the torch |
| past | carried the torch |
Questions about carry the torch
- What does carry the torch mean?
- Carry the torch means to continue the work or legacy (of a cause); to crusade for a cause.
- What part of speech is carry the torch?
- Carry the torch is a verb.
- What is the past tense of carry the torch?
- The past tense of carry the torch is carried the torch.
Words near carry the torch in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: carry the torch (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “carry the torch.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/carry_the_torch. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.