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

Expectations in the tourism industry and among hotel executives were much higher than what’s been realized so far.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
Reaching for spray sunscreen every time Spray sunscreens are convenient, but Mercer said many people don’t realize how much product misses their skin during application.

— Kaitlyn Harvey, AJC.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of realize

Verb

Another gripe for many is the American accents uniformly applied to these characters from Greek mythology when everyone knows that all the glorious empires of Hollywood speak exclusively in British accents.

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
On the opposite side of the ball, he could be heard barking orders out during pick-and-roll situations, loudly letting teammates know where the ball-handler was headed.

— Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026

Definition of know

Verb

Weapons are also commonly discovered in these tombs, but not only next to royal men.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 17 July 2026
The second occurred last November when a 2-7 Dolphins team returned to their locker room and discovered the Pop-A-Shot arcade basketball hoop machine, and a second basketball rim were removed from the player’s locker room.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026

Definition of discover

Verb

As with consideration of any new medication, understanding implications, both good and bad, short-term and long-term, need to be fully discussed with any patient and treating physician.

— Nina Shapiro, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
It’s been understood for years that America’s adversaries and allies alike take a keen interest in how this country practices an imperfect democracy.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026

Definition of understand

Verb

Mercedes-Benz Stadium might never again see two comebacks like the ones engineered by Messi in Atlanta.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
She’s seen during a dance rehearsal, a silly social media clip, and onstage from their Lollapalooza set, the latter of which came before her announcement in February to step away from Katseye.

— Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026

Definition of see

Verb

Jonestown afflicted Naipaul’s vision, his way of deciphering not just political manias but the dreariness of urban life, the perpetual doom of the nuclear-arms race.

— Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
Angela George The recount board is sticking around after business hours for now to tabulate ballots that needed to be duplicated after the voting machine could not read or decipher the ballot.

— Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 8 July 2026

Definition of decipher

Verb

Fedorov’s removal came as Russian missiles struck Kyiv early Thursday, with loud explosions heard in the Ukrainian capital just hours before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was set to arrive.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
If the sky becomes threatening and thunder can be heard, find a safe place to shelter.

— CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of hear

Verb

Rather than genetically engineering immune cells, as is sometimes done for other therapies, researchers identify T cells in the patient that naturally recognize three proteins that are found in many brain tumors.

— Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 14 July 2026
The website received six nominations from the awards body, which recognizes excellence in arts and entertainment journalism.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 14 July 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

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of catch on (to)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

raffish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes