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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Even so, experts caution that there are numerous engineering and cost efficiency challenges that need to be addressed before these plans could be realized.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
By 14, Pellacani realized diving could become something bigger than an after-school activity.

— Bella Armstrong, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of realized

Verb

And the latest archaeoacoustic techniques show that even the world’s earliest architects understood this.

— Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
That leaves room for disputes in which both sides agree the job began as at will but disagree about what was understood later.

— William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of understood

Verb

The remains, discovered at a Greek border area 60 years ago, were flown to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, aboard a military aircraft that was escorted by Bulgarian air force fighter jets from the country's border with Greece.

— COSTAS KANTOURIS, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Kim’s laboratory previously discovered that molten bismuth can act like a chemical sponge, cleanly capturing rare-earth elements out of liquid salts.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of discovered

Verb

Bella chews him out for punching Angus in the face right before Angus’s big presentation, which Johnny knew about because they were supposed to throw a return supper for him, a dinner Johnny was supposed to cook.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Drivers knew the back entrances, the factory layouts, and the best path to the boss of a mom-and-pop workshop.

— Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of knew

Verb

But moments before the nosedive, passengers seated near the front of the plane heard sounds of a fight inside the cockpit, said passenger Daniel Schlichter, who was seated in the second row.

— SAM MEDNICK, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Eventually the curtain was closed again and the microphone in the room was turned off, but Pike could still be heard making gasping or snoring sounds.

— Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of heard

Verb

The key is creating conversations that solve problems, celebrate milestones and make customers feel recognized—not just sold to.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Eliza says, seemingly delighted that someone has recognized their unproblematic existence.

— Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of recognized

Verb

Brower and Simone learned that pigeons were a common source of food for people thousands of years ago and used the sun, and probably the earth's magnetic field, for navigation.

— KYLE MELNICK THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
More than anything, Brooks’ approach confirmed what Rodriguez has already learned.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Caught on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caught%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of caught on (to)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perseverate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes