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
-
One that realizes that a country ruled by one man is not a functioning democracy.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026 -
As those two fight, the rest of the team realizes — hive mind, baby.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gravette may not be where most expect to find an athlete competing on a global stage, but maybe that's just because Madie Edwards knows how to keep a low profile.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Armario knows the fast-food world from every angle—rising the industry ranks from Burger King crew member to a McDonald’s executive overseeing global supply chain, development, and franchising.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Later, Pine concludes that Teddy is in league with an associate named Gilberto Hanson, but his ally Sally Price-Jones (Hayley Squires) discovers that Hanson died 17 years prior in a helicopter crash that was never publicized.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Jan. 2026
-
On a languid boat trip through Champagne, France, a cruise-travel expert discovers the upside to sailing at five miles per hour.—
David Swanson,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Despite his layered duplicity, Jonathan understands and defines himself by courting risk.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Plummer understands Nix is in a difficult spot.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The District recognizes its responsibility to serve the CPS community with integrity.—
Asal Rezaei,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Mescal recognizes that his role is in support of the titanic performance given by Buckley.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Every time a customer pays with a credit card, 2 to 4 percent of that sale is siphoned off before a business ever sees the money.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Qu said the company sees it as a hobby-grade product aimed at users who want a closer approximation of real piloting.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 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
-
Joe is plagued with visions of his dead father during his therapy sessions and hears disembodied voices whispering while hanging out with friends.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
-
MacLeod said many of the complaints his organization hears are like the Johnsons’ and involve third-party utility billing companies hired by landlords.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
8 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 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share