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
-
Politicians are now realizing the backlash of ICE’s overbearing tactics.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Feb. 2026 -
Unfortunately, there’s nothing quite like the headache of realizing your travel documents aren’t in order.—
Brittany Chang,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Couples should feel confident asserting their expectations, knowing the photographer will be their sole source of images from the ceremony.—
Nikita Khanna,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
-
And just knowing if that is this team, we are built for the playoffs.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The latter sees a faded film star in Georgia returning to acting and discovering an industry that has left him behind.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
-
But recently TikTok is discovering the face-framing magic that comes from turning your curls inward.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In school, Yoneifer was learning English fast, understanding basic expressions and responding in Spanish, his mom says.—
Maeva Bambuck,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The bottom line, though, is about understanding your teen and how this trend is affecting them, rather than fighting back against the trend for the sake of it.—
Jana Pollack,
Parents,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As an avalanche and dead bodies ratchet up the suspense, Zach must lean on his mother’s wisdom to fight for his life while deciphering a confusing undercurrent of danger, violence and betrayal among the survivors.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Peskoe and others are watching court challenges to the DOE emergency orders closely, seeing if courts weigh in on this use of emergency powers to decide what kinds of energy should remain on the grid longer.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Instead, even with its Gemini app now seeing more than 750 million monthly active users (MAUs), 100 million more than last quarter, and Gemini, the company's large language model, processing over 10 billion tokens per minute, Search usage broke a quarterly record.—
,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the Arctic, leadership means recognizing that Greenland is not a curiosity or a punchline.—
Paul McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
-
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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Even in hockey – a sport that is extremely popular around the world – there are terms used by commentators or pundits that you might not be accustomed to hearing if not a regular to the sport.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Some diners would rather eat later but believe restaurants get noisier as the evening goes on, preventing them from hearing their tablemates and communicating with wait staff.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 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 7 Feb. 2026.
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