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
  • The spa Spa Anjali is where the hotel’s wellness positioning feels the most fully realized.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2026
  • But as the team sat as guests in the mezzanine section during the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the group realized there could be more opportunities in being directly involved in production, rather than just licensing their IP.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of realize
Verb
  • There is something so beautiful about loving someone through every season of their life … Kenny, one of the greatest gifts of my life has been getting to know you through all your different chapters.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The 'gold standard' Grading companies verify a card’s authenticity, assess its condition and seal it in a protective plastic case, known as a slab.
    — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of know
Verb
  • No explosives have been discovered at the affected aircraft or broadcasting facilities.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • What the international team did hearkens back to the days of old, when American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of discover
Verb
  • The reflection also provides a pragmatic framework for understanding why honest communication is not just a moral choice, but a functional necessity in any communication process.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Shaq kicked off the four-stop tour in September to help the Gen Z crowd understand the importance of a healthy FICO score.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • In a series of videos posted across social media, Basabe can be seen raising his voice, holding his cellphone in people’s faces and engaging in tense conversations while campaigning.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • And provided the House flips Democratic, Republicans could see a procession of impeachment trials for Cabinet members — and perhaps even the president.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of see
Verb
  • Salas-Altès hopes to continue working to decipher the 280 engravings, as well as to understand the history of human presence in the cave.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 5 Nov. 2026
  • 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
Definition of decipher
Verb
  • Bono, on the other hand, believed their message could only achieve its highest goal when heard by as many people as possible.
    — Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Cancer June 21 – July 22 Someone’s certainty could be making your own question harder to hear.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of hear
Verb
  • The production brings together more than 30 creative professionals whose work has been recognized by the Golden Horse, Golden Bell and Golden Melody awards, as well as international festivals.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Parents do not have to become experts in AI to recognize the difference.
    — Christian M. Jacobs, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 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 13 Nov. 2026.

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