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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The tree may look small now, but realizing you’ve chosen a tree that’s grown too large for your fence line can be an expensive fix 20 years down the road.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026 -
Their system isn't intuitive, and common misconceptions leave people exposed without realizing it.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Raman and Pratt are right in deeming Bass the old guard of a beat-up city — but the old guard didn’t get there without knowing how to win.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Instead, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division did little to confront the problem despite knowing about it for years, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Associated Press and FRONTLINE (PBS) has found.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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But in the wake of discovering the hantavirus aboard the Hondius, health officials and infectious disease experts have been quick—and virtually unanimous—in trying to quell fears.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
-
The mood in Venice is still borderline ecstatic, full of gossip, parties, and people chatting about art in their respective cities, trading business cards, discovering new talent, eating, drinking, and stumbling around, running into old friends.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Since Ganymede likely hides a vast ocean beneath its ice shell, understanding how its magnetic field survives could offer clues about potentially habitable environments elsewhere in the solar system.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
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Because your husband is having trouble understanding that being alone in the house for extended periods isn’t good for your mental health (or physical health for that matter), perhaps your doctor can explain it to him.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
9 May 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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Dozens of armed federal agents and LAPD officers were seeing raiding several storefronts near the Alvarado corridor on Wednesday afternoon.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
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Correa was on crutches and in a walking boot Wednesday morning at the ballpark after seeing a foot specialist.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Viewing incarceration and homelessness through a compassionate lens leads to solutions focused on rehabilitation and support, recognizing systemic causes.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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Rebuilding public trust starts with recognizing the reality that trust in law enforcement remains strong nationwide.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Jurors in a Fort Worth courtroom decided on Tanner Horner’s punishment after hearing about a month of testimony and evidence that included audio of Athena Strand’s last moments from inside the delivery van.—
Jamie Stengle,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Those materials included attorney reports, hearing transcripts and prior court orders.—
Greg Wehner , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 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 12 May. 2026.
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