CAUGHT ON (TO) Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

caught on (to)

verb

past tense of catch on (to)

as in realized

to come to an awareness of she caught on to the fact that they were planning a surprise party

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in understood

to have a clear idea of he finally caught on to the concept of phototaxis

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for caught on (to)

Verb

Then birdwatchers realized the eagles had indeed built another nest, just in a different spot, moving across the river to Glen Hazel.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
Greenstein believes the full potential of AI is only just beginning to be realized.

— S. Sorrina Beecher, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of realized

Verb

Arrogance, remorse, ambivalence, irony, lust — Monteverdi understood how to give each one of those gradations its own specific splendor.

— Justin Davidson, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2026
Having graduated with a degree in fashion design from London’s Central Saint Martins in 1979, Sade understood the art of a garment better than most of her 1980s pop peers.

— Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of understood

Verb

Covering an area of the sky equivalent to 19 full moons, as seen from our vantage point, this cosmic Kaiju was discovered in late 2022 by Japanese astronomers using data from the Subaru Telescope.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Nov. 2026
The film was made with emerging directors discovered by the lab, who raised investment and set up their own studio, and the lab’s work drew backing from Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of discovered

Verb

Even with that mentality, however, Crow-Armstrong knew something had to change coming off an underwhelming second half of the 2025 season.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
Yasmine Chubin, executive director of the Iranian advocacy group, said the organization’s attorneys knew of at least a dozen detainees approached about removal in recent weeks.

— Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of knew

Verb

It's now recognized as one of the first online predator cases in the country leading to child abduction.

— Lauren Linder, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
According to state prosecutors, Young looked at Ring doorbell footage after the first knock from the boys, and his daughter recognized one of them as a former classmate.

— Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of recognized

Verb

Investigators learned that White was under state supervision and wearing a GPS monitoring device, and quickly located and arrested him at a restaurant in New Britain.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
Variety has learned that Harry Styles has had discussions about the part, and Theo James, 41, also hasn’t been ruled out.

— Angelique Jackson, Variety, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of learned

Verb

But a more apt comparison might be the Mirabilia Urbis Romae, in which Medieval scholars deciphered the staggering ruins of Classical Rome.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2026
Re-creating the Herculaneum scrolls To date, one entire scroll and passages from others have been deciphered, largely thanks to the Vesuvius Challenge, a project launched in 2023 that encourages researchers to decode scrolls for cash prizes.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of deciphered

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

caught one's eye

caught on (to)

caught up

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“Caught on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caught%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of caught on (to)

verb

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