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

catching on (to)

verb

present participle of catch on (to)

as in realizing

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 knowing

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 catching on (to)

Verb

Much like Whitford back in the late 1980s, Blyth is realizing that Kaffee basically never gets to leave the stage.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
Then, after realizing how cash-strapped a large chunk of these schools were, the conversation shifted towards the Big Ten's idea of 24-teams.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of realizing

Verb

There’s a lot more competition now, especially with the celebrity beauty brands and the indie or niche brands that are blowing up on TikTok, which is a super popular platform for discovering new beauty products.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Lu began searching about a year before filming, eventually discovering Wang, a boy of Taiwanese and Italian heritage, through a social media account run by his mother.

— Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of discovering

Verb

Gathering relevant data is a vital first step to understanding everything from the value of underground mineral deposits to the money held in pension funds.

— Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
The incentive structures that power the mathematical community are not set up for a world where solving problems is easy and understanding their answers remains hard.

— Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of understanding

Verb

Come early to mingle with the cast, in character, of course, who may or may not need your help in deciphering some puzzles.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
For these scrolls, the best method for virtually unrolling and deciphering text would be to scan for lead first, according to Seiler.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of deciphering

Verb

The Supreme Court will open its new term Monday by hearing arguments on whether the oil and gas industry may be forced to pay damages for the scorching heat waves, wildfires and droughts that are blamed on climate change.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
The controller was having trouble hearing the pilots and asked them to repeat their messages, including altitude, several times, according to the audio.

— Anselm Gibbs, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of hearing

Verb

From Billy Graham to Little Richard The Bakkers had a talent for recognizing cultural trends and tailoring their message accordingly.

— John Wigger, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
For the occasion, the Loewe Foundation will stage a major exhibition recognizing a decade of the Craft Prize, which also will open on the inaugural day of design week and run through April 28.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of recognizing

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

catching one's eye

catching on (to)

catching up

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of catching on (to)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes