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
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It must be understood that historical references to this team are like prompts on an online dating profile — not under any circumstances to be taken seriously, but a fun jumping off point.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026 -
The complication is not well understood but appears to be the result of the virus prompting the immune system to attack a certain protein that some brain cells produce.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Young knew almost instantly the tracks belonged to a river otter.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
11 Feb. 2026
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Fennell knew the film hinged on the casting of Cathy and Heathcliff, two iconic literary characters who have been portrayed by a multitude of actors over the years, including Laurence Olivier, Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 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
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Long considered lost — overlooked, neglected and nearly irretrievably altered over time — it was lovingly restored by designer Trina Turk and her late husband, Jonathan Skow, and recognized as an early Lautner in 2014.—
Hadley Meares,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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While many businesses offer Valentine’s Day promotions or special events, the day is not officially recognized by the federal government.—
Katey Psencik,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During the trial, jurors learned about grim Google searches Brian had made after his wife died, including how to saw a body and how to clean blood off of wood floors.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
18 Dec. 2025
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Fanatics shared the moment Tennessee Titans first overall pick, quarterback Cam Ward, saw Brady pop up on the screen to give him some wise words.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The company expects a little more of an impact in its Q2, but Cook said it’s fully comprehended in the above Street outlook of 48% to 49%.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Whether Assad grasped this is impossible to know.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
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And on top of it all, a social platform has merged where the AI agents can gather to compare notes, with implications that have yet to be fully grasped.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Swift’s fans appreciated the superstar’s shoutout for the female athletes.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The hands-free, backpack-style shoulder straps that can be easily stowed away were appreciated by our test team, too.—
Drew Zieff,
Outside,
17 Feb. 2026
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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 18 Feb. 2026.
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