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

The incident was caught on security camera footage, which detectives used with facial recognition software to identify Person, according to the report. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

The crashes, which span more than a year, have been caught on one family's security cameras. — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Regenerative organic first caught on with staples like rice, coffee and eggs. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026

But with albums like Geese’s Getting Killed and Slayyyter’s Wor$t Girl in America, the world is finally catching on, and so are the Grammys. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 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