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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in knows

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catches on (to)

Verb

When this happens, Telemachus realizes that the beggar is really his father, and the father-son duo reunite in full and begin plotting revenge against the suitors.

— Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Rhaenyra realizes that she’s been played and confronts the child.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of realizes

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
No one knows all the factors behind the population’s recent boom, although researchers point to recent extreme weather events and climate change, perhaps compounded with a rise in shipping traffic over recent decades.

— Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026

Definition of knows

Verb

But after several injuries to the squad this summer, manager Luis de la Fuente has reverted to Spain’s trusty trademark, which sees it as the narrow favorite for the title.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Meanwhile, Spain sees it as a coronating moment for a group aiming for the nation’s second title (2010).

— Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 18 July 2026

Definition of sees

Verb

The tournament recognizes outstanding individuals through several awards, including the Golden Ball for best player, Golden Boot for top scorer, Golden Glove for best goalkeeper and the FIFA Young Player Award.

— Patricio Chile, ABC News, 17 July 2026
As Jeff recognizes, college doesn’t have a recruitment problem.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of recognizes

Verb

As Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang prepare for Gu-cheon’s trip to the mirror world, Saeng-gang hears a spirit proclaiming that Gu-cheon will die that night.

— Kayti Burt, Time, 17 July 2026
At the film’s end, Abbie Cornish as Fanny hears secondhand about Keats’s death and utters a cry that is almost too much to bear — a cry that feels too real.

— Sarah Chihaya, Vulture, 16 July 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 20 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of catches on (to)

verb

Example Sentences

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