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
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The dog gets last place, and James realizes that Willie overfed him on purpose to make the odds better for him in the next race.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026 -
Healy realizes in today’s music industry there’s often no reason for a strong independent artist to join up with a label, since key traditional label responsibilities such as production, distribution and promotion can often be handled by the artists themselves.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Anyone who’s been left with one sock without a mate after all your laundry is apparently washed, dried, and folded knows the true irritation of this conundrum.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
20 Feb. 2026
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There's no signal on top of the tower, but the pair knows there's connection further down.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Also, one of the shell companies involved in the transfers was CorePoint Dynamics, which Peter discovers is linked to Monroe.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
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Gail Sheehy discovers that a sense of shame, a family rivalry, and an insatiable need for legitimacy have forged his character and drive.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Veteran coach Michael Boehle, sipping coffee, understands the routine is only temporary and does his best to get his players focused on their early-morning routine.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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If Becket is willing to kill for control, Julia understands that control often comes from letting other people self-destruct.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cops have released photos of a suspect wanted for gunning down a panhandler inside a Manhattan 7-Eleven last week, in hopes someone recognizes him.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
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The endangerment finding recognizes these harms.—
Yoca Arditi-Rocha,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Aïnouz sees this partnership as a win-win, as having stars attached to his films means more people will watch them.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2026
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India — the world’s most populous nation and one of the fastest-growing digital markets — sees the summit as an opportunity to project itself as a bridge between advanced economies and the Global South.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Meanwhile, the legitimacy of his criminal case in Tennessee faces a major test next week as the federal judge overseeing his trial hears arguments over Abrego Garcia’s claim that he’s being unfairly targeted.—
Devan Cole,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Then Vahid hears the telltale squeak of Peg Leg’s prosthetic leg.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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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 23 Feb. 2026.
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