CATCH ON (TO) Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

catch on (to)

verb

Definition of catch on (to)

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

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

Smith only realized the error four months ago, when the album campaign was shot and everything was in motion.

— Lars Brandle, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026
In a world fractured by power, fear and political extremism, a group of women uncovers a demonic force operating at the highest level of society-and realizes the chaos around them may be part of a much darker design.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of realize

Verb

Can the letter writer let sister know her fuss over food and product choices for 4-year-old nephew is hard to watch?

— Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2026
Speaking of nail-biters, Marisa Berenson, better known for her roles in front of the camera, is in the process of putting together her own movie project.

— Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of know

Verb

The discovery is the latest instance of CDE leadership telling employees bedbugs are not in the building, only for more to be discovered at a later date and igniting doubt among CDE’s workforce on whether treatment is effective.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
The problem Zhou discovered when MadaData collapsed has not gone away.

— Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of discover

Verb

If a degree needs to equip students for life outside of college, then a big part of that is understanding what employers are looking for.

— Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
In addition to developing better medicines or perfumes, deciphering the mirror images of molecules can help scientists understand the chemical architecture of life, said chemist Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the journal Science.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of understand

Verb

But the argument for Oura’s valuation depends on whether or not investors are seeing it as a single-product hardware maker or something bigger and more expansion potential.

— Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
Audiences unaware that Altman is gay might pick up on subtle hints in Garfield’s performance, before Musk jokes about it during a dinner scene or a boyfriend is finally seen well into the film.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of see

Verb

In addition to developing better medicines or perfumes, deciphering the mirror images of molecules can help scientists understand the chemical architecture of life, said chemist Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the journal Science.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
In addition to developing better medicines or fragrances, deciphering the mirror images of molecules can help scientists understand the chemical architecture of life, said chemist Holden Thorp, editor in chief of the journal Science.

— Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of decipher

Verb

My colleague Morgan Chittum, who just joined Fortune and who Term Sheet readers will be hearing a lot more from soon, dug into this question in a recent piece.

— Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
In a complex case that took years to get to trial, jurors heard weeks of testimony from children who had lived with their parents at the compound, other family members, firearms experts, doctors and forensic technicians.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of hear

Verb

The credit ecosystem will continue to recognize these human achievements, while finding ways to appropriately recognize the contributions of their AI collaborators.

— Jeffrey S. Flier, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
Williamson was recognized for his role in organizing the Dawson’s Creek table read held to support Van Der Beek following his colon cancer diagnosis.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of recognize

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

catch one's eye

catch on (to)

catchpenny

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Catch on (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch%20on%20%28to%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of catch on (to)

verb

Example Sentences

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