catch on

verb

caught on; catching on; catches on
Synonyms of catch onnext

intransitive verb

1
: to become aware : learn
also : understand
didn't catch on to what was going on
2
: to become popular
this idea has already caught on

Synonyms of catch on

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of catch on in a Sentence

she caught on to the fact that they were planning a surprise party he finally caught on to the concept of phototaxis
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
By happy chance, she is caught on film by a French TV cameraman, backed by Al King (bass) and Don Brown (drums) at the Blue Note. — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 The incident, which happened on May 8, was caught on a Ring security camera. — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026 An American woman is speaking out after being rescued from a seaplane crash that was caught on camera near the Bahamas on Saturday. — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 Behind every artist is an audience that believed before the rest of the world caught on, a family that sacrificed, a team that worked tirelessly. — Hillary Atkin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for catch on

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of catch on was in 1882

Rhymes for catch on

See All Rhymes for catch on

Browse Nearby Words

catch of the day
catch on
catch one's breath
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Catch on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catch%20on. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

catch on

verb
1
: to realize something
they had been teasing me, and I never caught on
2
: to become popular
will the new style catch on

More from Merriam-Webster on catch on

Nglish: Translation of catch on for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

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

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

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

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All