CATCH ON (TO) Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

catch on (to)

verb

Definition of catch on (to)

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

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

Brian Schottenheimer wasn’t quite defeated at his press conference last Monday after the 23-13 loss to Green Bay, but the head coach realized how low the morale was around the building.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
Ruffalo said as the crowd, realizing who was speaking, started cheering loudly.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of realize

Verb

Thames Valley officers in February arrested the former prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on suspicion of misconduct in public office based on information released in the Epstein Files.

— Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
Stockhausen, never known for the nuance of his public pronouncements, was nonetheless not wrong to identify Aphex Twin’s debt to an African-diasporic rhythmic tradition.

— Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of know

Verb

Claude discovered that fictional stories and roleplay exercises could conceal concerning behaviors from training-data screening systems.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
In homebuilding, discovering a flaw means addressing it before the damage spreads.

— Christian Swann, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of discover

Verb

The findings could help scientists understand how electrons behave under intense electric fields and develop new ways to control electronic materials using light.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
Most state lawmakers understand this, but some pivotal decisions are being made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

— Max Harden, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of understand

Verb

The attacks, which saw 1,195 people killed and 251 taken into Gaza as hostages, triggered a major security crisis that led to three years of war on multiple fronts.

— Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
The offense had a healthy-enough balance with the run game (more on that in a bit) to involve multiple pass-catchers, and the trio of leading receivers saw the immediate benefits.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of see

Verb

Bahdanau was working with artificial neural networks, which had already shown promise in pattern-recognition tasks such as deciphering handwriting and identifying objects in photos.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
In addition to developing better medicines or perfumes, deciphering the mirror images of molecules can help scientists understand the chemical architecture of life, said chemist Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the journal Science.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of decipher

Verb

While not guaranteed, the appeal is likely to be taken back up by the same three-judge appellate panel who previously heard — and rejected — the administration’s emergency request to block state officials from counting the ballots.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Much of the lineup is classic country—think Western swing, rockabilly and oldies—without any of the rock and pop heard nearby on Lower Broad.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of hear

Verb

Only in this case, the vaccine’s mRNA teaches immune cells to recognize key features of an individual’s cancer rather than a virus.

— Mike McRae October 25, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
Their point was to maintain an environment where work could be conducted safely without disruption while recognizing the rights of all individuals.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 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

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Style

“Catch on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of catch on (to)

verb

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