COTTONED (TO OR ON TO) Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

cottoned (to or on to)

verb

past tense of cotton (to or on to)

as in understood

to have a clear idea of failed to cotton on to the fact that her senatorial campaign was going nowhere

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for cottoned (to or on to)

Verb

Running has historically been understood as an affordable sport.

— Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026
But the methodology Benson and her co-authors used to reach those conclusions 21 years ago has not been generally understood.

— Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of understood

Verb

Heo Kang Il, an elite defector who managed a North Korean restaurant in China and in 2016 brought 12 of his staff with him to South Korea, knew people subjected to revolutionization and was subjected to it once himself.

— Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
Everyone who knew and worked with him was familiar with his stories, often told in a regional Texas twang and often more than once – and occasionally with a remarkable addendum.

— Keith McDermott, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of knew

Verb

But a more apt comparison might be the Mirabilia Urbis Romae, in which Medieval scholars deciphered the staggering ruins of Classical Rome.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2026
Re-creating the Herculaneum scrolls To date, one entire scroll and passages from others have been deciphered, largely thanks to the Vesuvius Challenge, a project launched in 2023 that encourages researchers to decode scrolls for cash prizes.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of deciphered

Verb

Electricity has been Fazio’s signature issue in the campaign, and he is recognized as one of the legislature’s leading authorities on the issue as the ranking senator on the energy and technology committee.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
Since 2021, the Gotham Awards has recognized performers in gender-neutral categories.

— Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of recognized

Verb

The polling points to the enduring legacy of 9/11, even as many Americans today are too young to have experienced or comprehended the event a quarter-century ago.

— Linley Sanders, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
The frames keep changing regardless of how much the viewer has noticed or comprehended.

— Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Definition of comprehended

Verb

Similar to affiliate marketing, Glance gets a piece of the sale price and, for a fee, will do deeper training on brands to ensure they are fully understood and appreciated by the agent.

— Evan Clark, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
Skillz, a mobile gaming company the fund bought into in 2019, went public via SPAC deal in 2020—but for the most part the investments have appreciated in value that has yet to be fully realized by owners.

— Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of appreciated

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.

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cottoned (to)

cottoned (to or on to)

cottoning (to)

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“Cottoned (to or on to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cottoned%20%28to%20or%20on%20to%29. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cottoned (to or on to)

verb

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