catches on (to)

verb

present tense third-person singular of catch on (to)
1
as in realizes
to come to an awareness of she caught on to the fact that they were planning a surprise party

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in knows
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 catches on (to)
  1. realizes
  2. knows
  3. discovers
  4. understands
  5. sees
  6. recognizes
  7. hears
  8. deciphers
Verb
  • Instead, as Picard realizes he’s lived and now lost an entire lifetime, Stewart gives that episode an almost excruciating sense of tragedy and exhaustion.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Billy knows more about that distinction than her admirer realizes.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of realizes
Verb
  • The prince didn’t have any luck in blocking Kelce, which comes as little surprise given the Chiefs star knows how to avoid defensive players.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Anyone who has worked at a fast-growing company at the edge of technology knows that obligations, circumstances and products change daily.
    — Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of knows
Verb
  • Decades later Santa discovers the misplaced letter and immediately sets out to make things right.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The New Yorker named this novel — about a man who discovers a manuscript secretly written by his wife, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s — one of the best books of 2026.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of discovers
Verb
  • No one device has to do everything; each plays the role it is best suited for, coordinated by a personal AI agent that understands the user’s context and acts only at the user’s direction.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s effortless style still has its hold on fashion, and the fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez understands the allure better than anyone.
    — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of understands
Verb
  • If a sleeper’s partner sees them sleeping on their back, gently moving them onto their side can reduce the chances of sleep paralysis.
    — RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Deschaine sees the lessons in her class in the conversation at the dinner table.
    — Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of sees
Verb
  • The display recognizes a fear that has lingered in immigrant families, and a loss felt far beyond them.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes a British or international designer whose career has helped shape and redefine fashion through creativity, originality and innovation.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of recognizes
Verb
  • Deadline hears that the BBC has held tentative discussions about whether Sounds could be folded in with iPlayer to create a single streaming service for video and audio, not unlike Netflix and YouTube.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Her 7-year-old hears the conversations around her, sees the protests in her community and notices the visiting canal personnel.
    — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of hears
Verb
  • Qualcomm’s chip can run Linux, along with Arduino software, and can even do computer vision, which deciphers what a camera sees and translates it into software.
    — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
  • With that base knowledge and his opponent’s game tape, Nolan analyzes wide receiver alignments and deciphers the offense's attack.
    — Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of deciphers
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

catches one's eye
catches on (to)
catches up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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