catch on

verb

caught on; catching on; catches on

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

Examples of catch on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As Booth tried to escape, he got caught on a portrait of George Washington and an American flag hanging from the box, leading him to land inelegantly on the stage. Vanessa Armstrong, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 Temu also has caught on not only because of its heavy advertising. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 King's performance was caught on video from multiple angles. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 The incident was caught on video before, during and after the shots were fired. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Opponents have caught on, sagging off the 6-foot-4 guard and shading Charlotte’s front court duo of Jackson and Milicic. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024 Haley never caught on, reaching 11% in January and 15% last month. David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024 According to video footage obtained by FOX 5, thieves were caught on camera in recent footage stealing from residents' mailboxes in a Northwest D.C. neighborhood. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2024 But the technology has not caught on as fast as was forecast. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catch on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near catch on

Cite this Entry

“Catch on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catch%20on. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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

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