1
as in to realize
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
2
as in to know
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 catch on (to)
Verb
-
There are no signs to mark these peaks, and even some of the homeowners who own the land don’t realize their lofty status.—
Nicolas Rivero,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2025 -
Jennifer Lopez’s yowza dress worn to the 42nd annual awards caused such a search frenzy that Google engineers realized people craved actual visuals (instead of the then-standard blue links) when searching for photos.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA TODAY,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Nash and Stills, classic rock legends in their own right, are best known for their work in Crosby, Stills & Nash, a folk rock supergroup (that also sometimes included Neil Young).—
Saba Hamedy,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Hopkins, who is well known for his own monstrous portrayal of Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs, has been working frequently, including voicing a character in the two-part Netflix film Rebel Moon and forthcoming sci-fi flick Eyes in the Trees.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Bioluminescence in Florida and elsewhere can be so intense it’s picked up by satellites, as scientists discovered in recent years.—
Emily Matchar,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Much to the amazement of the local populace, the eggs kept popping out—until it was discovered that the owner was writing the words and reinserting the eggs into the hapless hen’s cloaca.—
Arthur Krystal,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The mission’s detailed investigation of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.—
Richard Tribou,
Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2025
-
The more generous read is that OpenAI, as the poster child of American AI innovation, is trying to establish some rules in what is an unregulated and rapidly expanding industry that few people outside of it understand at a technical level.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Shein and Temu icons are seen displayed on a phone screen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on August 27, 2024.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
3 Feb. 2025
-
Thompson said the Mavericks’ decision to move Dončić roughly eight months following a trip to the NBA Finals was one of the most shocking moves he’s seen in his time around the NBA.—
Christian Clark,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Genomic sequencing, which deciphers the entire viral genome, is more ambitious.—
Lisa M. Krieger,
The Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Here's how China's Mars rover Zhurong finds possible shoreline of ancient Red Planet ocean The presence of lava introduces a significant challenge in deciphering the geological history of the Athabasca Valles system.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The order said the federal government would recognize only two sexes—male or female—and calls for housing transgender women in men's prisons, and halting gender-affirming medical care.—
Joel Thayer,
Newsweek,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Many will recognize him as the replicant who (quite violently) fails the Voight-Kampff test in Blade Runner (1982).—
Danny Horn,
EW.com,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The National Guard was on the corners, health workers handed out face masks, churches heard prayers, and pickups hauled burned things that might be salvaged.—
Jeffrey Fleishman,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2025
-
Nobody reported hearing or seeing anything out of the ordinary.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacramento Bee,
26 Jan. 2025
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.
Thesaurus Entries Near catch on (to)
Cite this Entry
“Catch on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share