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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After witnessing the catastrophic future created by changing history — including societal collapse and refugee camps — Jake realizes the only way to undo the damage is to reset the timeline entirely.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026 -
During her sixth visit to the island, one editor realizes that a little help from the experts goes a long way.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The organizers pledged to continue the campaign throughout awards season to ensure the public knows the names of Good and others killed by ICE agents in shootings.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Amal Clooney knows all about dressing for the occasion.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Contrary to popular belief, Day understands the benefits of somebody else leading the offense.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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This success positioned NuPhy as a brand that understands both office workflows and creative production.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
14 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
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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
-
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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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
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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
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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 19 Jan. 2026.
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