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catch on (to)

verb

Definition of catch on (to)next
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)
  1. realize
  2. know
  3. discover
  4. understand
  5. see
  6. decipher
  7. hear
  8. recognize
Verb
  • Maybe my argument was so strong, the AI would realize that its tech overlords were using this insanely powerful technology not to solve hunger or climate change, but to make reading less essential.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • That distinction matters more than many organizations realize.
    — Nick Leighton, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of realize
Verb
  • Vasil didn’t know what his teammates were planning and was clearly touched by the display of support.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion was likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, formally known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of know
Verb
  • Other bodies were discovered in the Olifantsfontein and Kwa-Thema areas, both about 20 miles from where Moselakgomo and the other four women were found.
    — Rael Ombuor The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • During the stop, a K‑9 alerted to drugs in the car, leading deputies to discover 191 grams of cocaine.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of discover
Verb
  • People with brain damage can lose the ability to understand or speak words yet still do math, play chess and compose music.
    — George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • New York already understands the importance of making its cultural life more accessible, and Mayor Mamdani’s recent TDF initiative to give free tickets to high schoolers offers one model.
    — Brian Beirne, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • Emmys nights one and two saw Widow’s Bay pick up a whopping eight trophies, one short of The Studio’s total of nine last year, and this evening might end with Widow’s Bay grabbing a lot of the same awards The Studio did last year.
    — Vulture Staff, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The bookshelf becomes a collective record of the times, ways of seeing, forms that flourished during particular eras, and also questions that persist across centuries.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of see
Verb
  • No, multiple academics have attempted to decipher the meaning behind the mightily adorable meow of the domestic house cat.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Taxpayer groups working across multiple cities and counties should not have to decipher different deadlines and procedures in every jurisdiction.
    — Marc Joffe, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of decipher
Verb
  • Jensen said some residents have begun exploring their legal options, citing both the emotional duress of hearing constant screams and also a fear of potentially lower property values.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Authored by Wall Street Journal reporter Robbie Whelan, THR hears that among the topics set to be covered will be Iger’s friendship-turned-rivalry with former Marvel chief Ike Perlmutter.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of hear
Verb
  • The opinion team should have recognized that his biased anti-Israel position was not relevant to the subject of his commentary.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Alas, for all of his brilliance, Miguel struggles to recognize the emergence of his own paranoia, let alone to identify its source.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of recognize
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

catch one's eye
catch on (to)
catchpenny
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Catch on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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