CATCHES ON (TO) Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

catches on (to)

verb

present tense third-person singular of catch on (to)

as in realizes

to come to an awareness of she caught on to the fact that they were planning a surprise party

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as in knows

to have a clear idea of he finally caught on to the concept of phototaxis

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catches on (to)

Verb

Meanwhile, America is now in the war, and veteran Adam is seemingly the only person in Salinas who realizes that this isn’t necessarily a noble thing.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Mullen now realizes that all of that creative struggle, however frustrating, had a purpose.

— Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of realizes

Verb

The movie’s heady content — Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the title role as a high-schooler who discovers the philosophy of time travel alongside his responsibility to change fate — provided endless fodder for late-night discussions, sober or otherwise.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
In one story, a little boy discovers a magical garden that appears only on the darkest nights; in another, two sisters use the moon as a boat and sail into the sky.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of discovers

Verb

People are complicated, and Juno Temple understands the character well enough to embody Keeley’s contradictions and make sense of them, most of the time.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026
A student who understands the course content should be able to demonstrate that understanding regardless of the evaluation method.

— Neetu Arnold, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of understands

Verb

Andersen sees energy storage, which would allow for continual energy supply even when the wind isn’t blowing, as the wind sector’s next big opportunity.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
In her review of the exhibition, critic Aruna D’Souza sees this resemblance as a blind spot in the show’s curation.

— Tina M. Campt, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of sees

Verb

The honor recognizes recognizes filmmakers whose bodies of work have made significant contributions to contemporary cinema.

— Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Hamm also created the Harold Hamm International Prize for Biomedical Research in Diabetes, which recognizes and promotes lasting achievements in diabetes research.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of recognizes

Verb

Every audience hears about the tweets from Michigan’s William Lawrence, condemning the nuclear family, and New York’s Darializa Avila Chevalier, about how July 4 should be about the liberation of Palestine and Puerto Rico.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
In the song’s closing moments, the Edge hears something older than country music in Parton’s voice.

— Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 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

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“Catches on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catches%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of catches on (to)

verb

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