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

Driscoll and others involved in the mission worried that something far less dramatic could derail it, such as an accidental weapon discharge, an isolated confrontation with a protester or a guardsman caught on camera behaving poorly. — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

Although the friction email has existed within OpenAI for some time, the process didn’t really catch on until the fall of 2025 when Fidji Simo joined the company as CEO of Applications. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026

There is no doubting the incredible value in LLMs, all the while the sort of people who said the internet would never catch on now pour scorn on AI. — Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

San José State transfer Leland Smith gives Iamaleava a big-bodied receiver that can make contested catches on the boundaries or hang on to balls over the middle of the field. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 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