1
as in realized
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 understood
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 caught on (to)
Verb
-
Zagorac was fired from substitute teaching jobs in Naperville District 203, Hinsdale District 181 and Schaumburg District 54 in 2005, after the districts realized their background checks did not extend beyond Illinois’ borders, according to the Naperville Sun.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026 -
Of that $32 million in savings, however, $20 million is unlikely to be realized.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The origin of clemency is understood through the Federalist Papers as a need for mercy in instances when the criminal justice system was too harsh.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The attraction stems from feeling emotionally understood.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
By printing the message, the killer no longer seemed to care about being discovered, despite the fact that not a single fingerprint was found on either side.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Where has the medallion been discovered in past years?—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This neighborhood was not as grand as Harlem proper, but everyone who hung their hat here knew its allure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Prosecutors said Villanueva knew the device qualified as a firearm and destructive device under federal law and that it was not registered.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Over the summer, the NTSB heard 32 hours of testimony over three days, probing virtually every detail of what could have led to the midair collision.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In total, roughly 10 shots can be heard.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The execs had seen firsthand what was wrong, and recognized that the IRS’s first CEO is richly equipped to deliver the fix.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Klein, who came out of nowhere to rescue the Dodgers with four scoreless innings in the marathon Game 3 of the World Series, was still pinching himself about being recognized in public.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The sun dances to its own (currently less-than-deciphered) rhythms, moving through an 11-year-long cycle.—
Sarah Scoles,
Scientific American,
10 Dec. 2025
-
At first this voice from the heavens has seemingly sent a benign message but it’s quickly deciphered to be a DNA cocktail for Earthlings to investigate.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Ruhe said the debate reflects lessons learned from nearly two years of war.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
And one of the main lessons that will be learned from that account is that while the harms that occurred came quickly and sometimes surprisingly easily, their negative consequences — on universities and society at large — will linger for a long time.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Caught on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caught%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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