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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Svetnoy, the film's gaffer, spent the next 20 to 30 minutes rendering aid to Hutchins after realizing the cinematographer had been shot.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026 -
After realizing their predicament, the couple was forced to swim to a buoy about a mile from shore.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Admitting not knowing much about Iran, Yan said her curiosity has only grown stronger since the war broke out.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
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If Bain ends up available along with one of the top defensive backs, the depth of this edge rusher class could serve as a tiebreaker, knowing what’s available on Day 2.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There can be a lot of joy in discovering who your partner is becoming and falling in love with that person, too.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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Councilmembers Kathleen Treseder and Mai raised concerns about the briefings after discovering last month that Agran was briefed first on the budget issue, and as part of that conversation, asked the city manager to research polling on possible local taxes.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Government officials weren’t the only people interested in understanding Japanese Americans.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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This is not about rushing to share, but about understanding what’s true for you first.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The study creates new criteria for deciphering old dice and allows archaeologists to further explore how games have evolved over time, researchers say.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
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The clicks are part of a growing sperm whale phonetic alphabet that researchers at CETI are deciphering.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Public school districts in Texas are almost one school year into the first statewide cellphone ban, and a North Texas school district is seeing positive impacts.—
Lacey Beasley,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Why more Sacramento residents are seeking evaluation As public awareness changes, individuals who were formerly written off as chaotic, fragile, strange or unstable are now seeing those outdated stories from a contemporary perspective.—
Malana VanTyler,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The top prize at the ACMs (and the rival CMA Awards), Entertainer of the Year is typically regarded as recognizing the year’s best ambassador for country music.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
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The second annual 18th & Vine Arts Festival Honors Awards will return this spring, recognizing artists who have shaped Kansas City’s cultural identity from within the urban core.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Parents rushed to the school in Kahramanmaras’ Onikisubat district after hearing reports of an armed attack, NTV television reported.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Parents rushed to the school after hearing reports of an armed attack, NTV television reported, adding that police took security measures around the school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2026.
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