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
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Portable Charger There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a long sightseeing day and realizing that your phone is on its last leg.—
Kristin Braswell,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025 -
When people realized that the blue photons were firing at them not only from their devices but from every light bulb, there was a rush to avoid bright white LEDs altogether.—
Rowan Jacobsen,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The charitable organization funded by the Johnson & Johnson heiress is known for gifts to education, health and civic projects.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Authorities then discovered De Silva suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
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Bishop discovered that former Rangers defender Connor Goldson, now playing in Cyprus, had a similar problem earlier in his career.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Of course, a reliable method for measuring a team’s performance is to use underlying metrics to understand the team’s process more than its outcomes.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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The clip then smash-cuts to a scene of Bruce as a child listening to his parents fight in the next room, and we’re meant to understand that the joy and power that steams off of the stage is a cure for the pain of childhood wounds.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The suppression of Black voters well into the twentieth century was only ended (for the most part) with the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA), after a long and dangerous fight that saw multiple incidents of deadly violence against those advocating for equal access to the ballot.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Oct. 2025
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But the biggest surprise was seeing how ineffective Liverpool’s forwards were.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dreams are a concept that humans have been fascinated with deciphering for thousands of years.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
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Its inscriptions are currently being deciphered.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lockhart was also the recipient of two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one recognizing her motion picture work, the other honoring her television career.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
25 Oct. 2025
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Anguilla was also recognized by Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best Awards as one of the top islands globally — and the highest-ranked in the Caribbean — earning praise for its friendly hospitality, diverse cuisine and luxury resorts.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When Springer got hurt, there was some cheering heard by the Dodger fans in the crowd, who booed him loudly at the start of every at-bat.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
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Aside from buying beans, my go-to is a cortado with almond milk and — hear me out — quarter-sweet simple syrup.—
Tamia Boyd,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025
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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 31 Oct. 2025.
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