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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During her sixth visit to the island, one editor realizes that a little help from the experts goes a long way.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026 -
Wedding didn’t realize until much later that the FBI was monitoring Acebedo-Garcia’s texts and even directing him what to say.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Elordi played Frankenstein's monster — known as the Creature — in this adaptation of the story, and he was also nominated at the Globes for his performance.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Other birds might have imprinted on humans and do not know how to hunt their own food.—
Beth Lipoff,
Kansas City Star,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Two of the daughter’s classmates had discovered the grisly mayhem; at the time of writing, no suspect had been identified.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Keep reading to discover more tiny house options at Amazon, as well as essentials to fill your new space with.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Even though just three can alert to an emergency, many more are needed to understand what is behind those emergencies.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
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Those specifics aside, more stunningly, researchers discovered that these brave, early explorers of new worlds demonstrated a different way of moving than had been previously understood.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Carolina Panthers saw their season come to an end in a way that tugged on all sorts of emotions — after a game that was equal parts thrilling and blissful and heartbreaking.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
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His car was seen arriving shortly before the time the murders were believed to have been committed and left shortly after, according to court documents.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So, the thinking went, every costume, prop, and line reading is there for a reason, infinite symbolism scattered across the frame for anyone determined enough to decipher it.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
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By building out a picture of the whales’ health, habits and diet, researchers are deciphering the many ways humans impact their lives and guiding conservation actions that may mean life or death for the orcas.—
Kelso Harper,
Scientific American,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Learning the different personalities, learning how the job is impacting, recognizing when there's changes in personalities requires you to be invested in them, to be around them.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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In addition to his directing prowess, Reiner's skills as an actor were recognized by the Golden Globes in the past.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The pair of cases regarding women’s sports laws is among several other high-profile cases the justices have heard or will hear this term.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Jan. 2026
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Cissie Graham Lynch, a senior advisor at Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said the fight over women’s sports is rooted in biblical truth as the Supreme Court heard arguments in cases involving laws designed to protect female athletes.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 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 Jan. 2026.
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