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

During a virtual walk-through of the exhibition, Alexandra Foradas, the museum’s curator of modern and contemporary art who assisted Moore Saggese in realizing the show in New Jersey, provided a useful way of thinking about what Basquiat was doing.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Garfield’s is the showier performance but Yura Borisov‘s depiction as a man slowly realizing how he’s been had is Richard-Gere-at-the-end-of-Primal-Fear-level stuff.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 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

My breadth of experience from my upbringing to fighting for Arkansans from all walks of life, gives me an advantage in understanding that life story every person brings into my court.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Being able to share those same schedules, having the same passion and truly understanding what the other person is talking about — that’s a real plus.

— Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of understanding

Verb

After seeing information about the National Day of Action online, Isabel Montano, a junior studying philosophy and economics, decided to take action at SIUE.

— Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2026
Forecasting the Field While Kehlani is a strong contender for the category, the R&B space has absolutely expanded, while seeing the return of some of R&B’s original icons.

— Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of seeing

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 deciphering

Verb

In intimate groups of up to 10 women, hearing one woman growl can give another permission to do the same.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
His delight in working with actors, fencers, acrobats, musicians and our creative team is infectious, and there is such pleasure in hearing his delicious language come alive and discovering what his world can become on stage.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 11 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 13 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

abscond

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

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes