as in knowing
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 cottoning (to or on to)
Verb
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Still, the answer to treating PMOS isn’t just patients knowing what to look for and what to do, experts say.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026 -
The two have since built an unspoken connection, each knowing when the other is feeling especially bogged down by the conflict.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Maybe a computer was a new tool for understanding poetry.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The week-long experience focuses on strength training to increase muscle mass; the importance of nutrition (especially protein); and understanding the long-term effects and impacts of weight loss medications.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Currently, judges in California courts are responsible for deciphering the nuances of California’s Invasion of Privacy law.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
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The study creates new criteria for deciphering old dice and allows archaeologists to further explore how games have evolved over time, researchers say.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette will run daily articles recognizing 50 notable figures in Arkansas history to coincide with America250, the national commemoration of the country's 250th anniversary.—
Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
18 May 2026
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More millennials are recognizing perimenopause in real time, reading about treatment options, looking at personalized plans, and finding solutions such as telehealth companies.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Hiba imagined seeing snow for the first time and living in a cold state, such as Ohio.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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His absence led to Ben Hutton and Dylan Coghlan seeing elevated minutes, and both handled them well.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Hard sci-fi, meanwhile, leans into the fact that life evolving on other planets, under different conditions, and across different stretches of time will almost certainly take on forms so different from ours that comprehending them would be like imagining a new color.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
24 Mar. 2026
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As for whether comprehending the wiring of the brain really demands techniques from the frontiers of theoretical physics, questions remain.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The third season of The Comeback has aired over only two months, but the season’s core adversarial relationship, between the grasping desperation of the creative community and the steady encroachment of AI, has only taken on an increasingly dominant role in Hollywood’s ongoing conversations.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
11 May 2026
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Unlike the thicker grasping fingers typical of primates, the aye-aye’s third digit is extraordinarily slender and highly flexible.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Now, more and more people are making a case for appreciating those once-vexing clovers.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
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Wandering smaller streets, spending too long at my favorite cafés, and appreciating the atmosphere as much as the destinations themselves.—
CNT Editors,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cottoning (to or on to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cottoning%20%28to%20or%20on%20to%29. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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