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
Relevance
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)
Verb
-
When Myra’s true intentions come to light, however, Billy realizes her plan threatens to consume them both.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026 -
Hutter eventually realizes his client is, in fact, a vampire, and Hutter's wife may be the key to saving him and their community.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Evelyn no longer knows that woman; she was lost somewhere in the mist.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
And while nice suits can give the appearance of looking like a man in charge, having substance inside the cotton and wool are what voters demand and what can sustain a person who knows that leadership is the long game.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Aleys later discovers that a beguine named Katrijn Janssens has been secretly translating Latin scripture into Dutch.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The play’s thriller twists and turns begin after Susan discovers that a doll, gifted to her after Sam’s most recent trip, has secretly been stuffed with a valuable bag of drugs, unbeknownst to her husband.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
London — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Britain’s Prince Andrew, has moved out of his longtime Windsor home and is now a resident of Norfolk, England, CNN understands.—
Max Foster,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
-
If topics feel heavy, suggest a pause and return with notes so feelings stay honored while plans keep moving toward real stability that everyone understands.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Scientific consensus now recognizes fish as sentient beings capable of experiencing suffering.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
The 1906 Intercalated Games were considered Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee at the time, but the IOC no longer recognizes the event or its medals.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Opgenhaffen sees particular opportunity in modernizing the traditional South Asian eye look — updating the classic coal liner with plum shades and browns that can transition from day to evening.—
Ritu Upadhyay,
Footwear News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Downs says maintenance issues are what his crew sees the most.—
Alysia Burgio,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
-
Party insiders pick a nominee, campaigns are truncated to a few short weeks, and challengers are locked out before the public ever hears their names.—
Grace Rauh,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The commission hears cases of public employees who believe they were wrongly fired for making agency disclosures.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Catches on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catches%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
