1
as in realizing
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 knowing
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 catching on (to)
Verb
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Apparently realizing that launching feuds with other female celebrities could be bad for her burgeoning beauty-products brand, Tisdale immediately jumped into damage control mode Tuesday and had her rep insist to TMZ that her essay was not about Duff, Moore or Trainor.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026 -
And in 1945, American inventor Percy Spencer developed the microwave oven after realizing that the candy bar in his pocket began to melt near a magnetron.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Low-resolution Surveying involves gathering surface-level information about a wide variety of topics—knowing a little about a lot of stuff.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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That includes knowing when to let go of something that no longer serves you.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The dramatic cover continues to guide the drama of the party, from Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) choosing Benedict as her bachelor of the season to Eloise (Claudia Jessie) discovering her sister Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) had snuck in to the ball.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
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Road trips are also a great way to travel abroad, including driving through the Irish countryside, discovering rain forests and beach towns in Brazil, and more.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The key to making the right decision is understanding all your options beforehand.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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His perspective positions the next wave of transformation not around deeper analysis, but around autonomous action, systems capable of understanding situations, deciding optimal responses, and executing those responses in real time.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By building out a picture of the whales’ health, habits and diet, researchers are deciphering the many ways humans impact their lives and guiding conservation actions that may mean life or death for the orcas.—
Kelso Harper,
Scientific American,
16 Dec. 2025
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By uncovering these complex vocal structures, this research marks a crucial step in deciphering the meaning behind sperm whale communication.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And there are places like Glam Doll donuts, a small, hip, independent donut place owned and run by two women, from which the video a lot of people have been seeing was filmed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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What’s more, last year’s average tax refund of $3,167 should jump by hundreds of dollars in 2026 – with some taxpayers seeing four figure increases.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the Arctic, leadership means recognizing that Greenland is not a curiosity or a punchline.—
Paul McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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Even smart organizations that do listen to customers often fixate on willingness to pay, rarely questioning what shapes it or recognizing its limits.—
Esade Business & Law School,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So many other things that are going on are worse than hearing a curse word.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Liberty students said they were also compelled to speak out after seeing ongoing discussions of an ICE facility potentially coming to the Kansas City area and hearing rumors of ICE agents allegedly going door-to-door in nearby Gladstone.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
28 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Catching on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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