1
as in to realize
to come to an awareness of
she caught on to the fact that they were planning a surprise party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to know
to have a clear idea of
he finally caught on to the concept of phototaxis
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch on (to)
Verb
-
But the victim, realizing he’d been duped, had reached out to police.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026 -
The Jackson estate realized after shooting that Jackson’s settlement deal with the Chandlers barred the estate from ever depicting the Chandlers on film.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Local teachers and administrators know the needs of their children best.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
The difficulty isn’t so much with what’s unknown as with what’s known.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Upon arrival, police discovered Sheppard’s storm door shattered and the main door ajar.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
The body was discovered Friday evening inside the house, yet detectives were unable to access it until Saturday due to the risk posed by venturing inside the charred house, according to police.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
When told of his dismissal, Morey was surprised and expressed disappointment but was understanding.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
But, ultimately, at the very top, presidents and provosts are going to have to understand that expertise is their mission.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The backstory South America’s largest city sprawls as far as the eye can see with towers and highways, which explains how this part of town (not the most central) has become a hub for meetings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
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But drivers wouldn’t immediately see that full amount shaved off their bills under a suspension.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In corporate news, luxury conglomerate and industry bellwether LVMH reported quarterly sales that missed expectations on Monday as the sector begins to decipher the fallout from the war in the Middle East and its impact on stocks.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
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The researchers then deciphered certain traits that were linked to the habit.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Retailers that effectively deploy AI in their physical stores recognize the human elements at the core of the in-person shopping experience.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
-
Now, just two years into that career, Ifill is being recognized with an Excellence in Nursing award as part of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s annual Celebrating Nurses program.—
Nancy Badertscher,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Try to do it in advance so that the conversation can be heard as a request to plan, rather than a demand for course correction.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
-
The disease left her unable to hear much of anything, including conversation.—
Bob Brody,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Catch on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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