COTTONED (TO OR ON TO) Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cottoned (to or on to)

Verb

But González understood the system better than all those people.

— Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
Still, the 2021 GAO investigation found that the protections were unevenly understood and applied.

— María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of understood

Verb

After the second plane struck, Doremus knew the crashes were an attack.

— Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Wade knew that despite their apparent uniformity, oceans hide many distinct habitats that differ in temperature, currents, ultraviolet light, chemistry, and oxygen.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of knew

Verb

Uncertainty notwithstanding, the longevity world has glommed onto the notion that the vaginal microbiome is some kind of exotic tealeaf that can be deciphered—and perfected by purchasing the right supplements.

— Sarah DiGregorio, Vanity Fair, 27 July 2026
Its successor script, Linea B, was also a mystery until it was deciphered in 1952 by an amateur linguist and cryptographer Michael Ventris with the help of classicist John Chadwick, both building on patterns in the script first identified by classicist Alice Kober.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 June 2026

Definition of deciphered

Verb

Narra, whose family is from southern India, recognized one of the songs — a number from the romantic comedy, Desi Boyz.

— Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026
The film won for documentary or nonfiction special, while Hargitay was recognized for directing for a documentary/nonfiction program.

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of recognized

Verb

When visiting Ground Zero, Surdo said he was struck by the scale and the enormity of the destruction and the sulfurish smell, which were two things that couldn’t be grasped by seeing the site on television.

— Andis Robeznieks, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Ashton Daniels, who started his career at Stanford and then appeared in four games at Auburn last season, has quickly grasped the offense, according to every testimonial delivered by teammates and FSU offensive coaches since the spring.

— Andre C. Fernandez, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of grasped

Verb

Sac State players and coaches appreciated the grit of quarterback Carson Conklin, who suffered a wrist injury in the first half and soldiered his way to the end, completing 25 of 46 passes for 221 yards.

— Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Everyone appreciated having access to writing samples, but two participants wanted additional context around each example.

— Jehan Lalkaka, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 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)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“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 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cottoned (to or on to)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

hobnob

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

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

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes