cottoned (to or on to)

verb

past tense of cotton (to or on to)
as in understood
to have a clear idea of failed to cotton on to the fact that her senatorial campaign was going nowhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cottoned (to or on to)
  1. understood
  2. knew
  3. deciphered
  4. recognized
  5. saw
  6. comprehended
  7. grasped
  8. appreciated
Verb
  • Its scientists understood the future of digital photography, but the company could not bring the right product to market.
    — Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • My abuser understood the power of words, and used them to dictate the terms of my obedience.
    — Debbie Millman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of understood
Verb
  • The state’s rebuttal witness testified that Hinton was grieving and angry but knew his actions were wrong.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
  • After all, very few people outside of the inner A24-Fielder-Oppenheim circle knew anything about it before its shock Telluride screening.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of knew
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
Verb
  • Tyler Shultz, a former Theranos research engineer who helped expose the company’s faulty blood-testing technology, barely recognized the woman on-screen.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The manager there recognized a Met Opera ticket in the print and ordered the $90 ties, which sold out in three days.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of recognized
Verb
  • In the book, Covey tells the story of a man relentlessly sawing down a tree.
    — Tony Gambill, Forbes.com, 2 June 2026
  • Jordan Walker, sawed off by a 96 mph sinker, lined out softly.
    — Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of saw
Verb
  • The polling points to the enduring legacy of 9/11, even as many Americans today are too young to have experienced or comprehended the event a quarter-century ago.
    — Linley Sanders, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The frames keep changing regardless of how much the viewer has noticed or comprehended.
    — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of comprehended
Verb
  • But both emanate from something his opponents have never quite grasped.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026
  • So all three of your adaptations have grasped quite the attention before even coming out.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of grasped
Verb
  • Apple Turnovers Grandma always appreciated a smart shortcut, and these apple turnovers have that—frozen puff pastry makes the crust on these turnovers quick and easy.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2026
  • No longer a one-off among houses with French origins, ultra-aged American sparkling is a small but rapidly growing category appreciated by those who enjoy French-style sparkling with an American pedigree.
    — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of appreciated
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

cottoned (to)
cottoned (to or on to)
cottoning (to)
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Cite this Entry

“Cottoned (to or on to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cottoned%20%28to%20or%20on%20to%29. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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