on·to
ˈȯn-(ˌ)tü 
ˈän-
1
: to a position on
We climbed onto the roof.
Turn left onto Fifth Avenue.
2
: in or into a state of awareness about
put me onto your methods
was onto something that should have been pursued further—
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther3
—used as a function word to indicate a set each element of which is the image of at least one element of another set
a function mapping the set S onto the set T
: mapping elements in such a way that every element in one set is the image of at least one element in another set
a function that is one-to-one and onto
Examples of onto in a Sentence
Preposition
We climbed onto the building's roof.
The book fell onto the floor.
The water spilled onto the floor.
The cowboy leaped onto his horse.
Transfer the data onto a disk.
Turn left onto Third Street at the traffic light.
Recent Examples on the Web
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 7 June 2025
Kruger then concluded her post with a snap of Reedus displaying a thumbs-up while holding onto a stroller, which appeared to have their daughter sitting inside with a coat covering her face.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 6 June 2025
With Mario Kart World (out now), Nintendo aims to deliver on ideas the developers have been holding onto for a while, creating a game that’s bigger and more chaotic than ever before, without skimping on the little details that give the brand its spirit.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
During peak season stepping off of a boat and onto the city’s stone streets can feel like entering a human pinball machine—especially near the city’s main attractions of St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for onto
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Preposition
But for the second game in a row the Panthers failed to hold onto a late lead, and watched a game go into overtime, only the sixth time the first two games of a Final have gone into OT.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 7 June 2025
Kruger then concluded her post with a snap of Reedus displaying a thumbs-up while holding onto a stroller, which appeared to have their daughter sitting inside with a coat covering her face.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 6 June 2025
With Mario Kart World (out now), Nintendo aims to deliver on ideas the developers have been holding onto for a while, creating a game that’s bigger and more chaotic than ever before, without skimping on the little details that give the brand its spirit.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
During peak season stepping off of a boat and onto the city’s stone streets can feel like entering a human pinball machine—especially near the city’s main attractions of St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for onto
Cite this Entry
“Onto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onto. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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