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
  • Fearn portrays Owen, a young sound engineer, who falls in love with a girl in a nightclub, gets her number, and the next morning realizes one of the digits is missing.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Now, Woodward has become an ambassador for bringing awareness to an issue that clearly impacts more people than society realizes – or cares to admit.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of realizes
Verb
  • Defensive lineman Zach Sieler knows a little something about that.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Brown, who was the head coach at Troy from 2015 to 2018 and West Virginia from 2019-2024, at least knows the realities of coaching a Group of Six program.
    — Mac Engel September 5, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of knows
Verb
  • Guadagnino undoes the bubble wrap and discovers Bertolucci’s viewfinder, a key relic for a filmmaker who may well have had the best eye in cinema history.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Written by Helstad, the film follows Jessica Lipki (Greer), a small-town lawyer who discovers a severed human finger in her bowl of chili at a regionally beloved fast-food chain.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of discovers
Verb
  • On Friday, Hassett said that the administration understands the pressure that rising energy prices puts on consumers.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Senior kicker Nate McCashland understands what the Goggins family is going through, with his younger brother having leukemia at a young age, and talked about how inspiring Heston is.
    — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of understands
Verb
  • The company sees the rocket becoming a workhorse launcher of small to medium-size satellites down the road, and its infrastructure supports that vision.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Kendra Ramsey, executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition, sees the expansion of Waymo as a safety benefit, rather than a concern.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of sees
Verb
  • The award, which recognizes a producer’s filmmaking accomplishments over the course of their career, comes with a C$20,000 (US$14,461) cash prize and is presented in partnership with Telefilm Canada.
    — Jennie Punter, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • William tells me that if someone recognizes a relative in a frame, the estate will provide a print with restrictions against resale.
    — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of recognizes
Verb
  • When Hernández hears a single Chinese tourist has arrived, a smile crosses his face.
    — Juan Carlos López, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Twice that day, Issa hears about earnest stuff Anton said to win voters over to Paul Baker’s side.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 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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Cite this Entry

“Catches on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catches%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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