catch on

verb

caught on; catching on; catches on

intransitive verb

1

: to become aware : learn

also : understand

didn't catch on to what was going on

2

: to become popular

this idea has already caught on

Synonyms of catch on

• realize
• discover
• see
• get on (to)
• hear
• learn

Examples of catch on in a Sentence

she caught on to the fact that they were planning a surprise party

he finally caught on to the concept of phototaxis

Recent Examples on the Web

Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is accused of throwing a rock at the head of an endangered Hawaiian monk seal — one of the rarest marine mammals in the world — earlier this month in an incident caught on camera by beachgoers. —Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026

And Crawford has been sprinkling in a secret catchphrase no one has caught on to yet. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 18 May 2026

Despite the preparations and the buzz among the nation’s vast population of soccer fans, World Cup fever has not caught on among families of the disappeared and the search teams that each week fan out across Guadalajara, looking for new graves. —Steve Fisher, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026

At the bar, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, dressed in a pewter, light-catching mini dress, ordered an Orangina cocktail that swiftly caught on. —Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for catch on

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

catch on

verb

1

: to realize something

they had been teasing me, and I never caught on

2

: to become popular

will the new style catch on