cottoned on
Caught the drift
Cottoned on means came to understand or finally grasped something, usually after a delay: It took me a while, but I eventually cottoned on to what she was hinting at.
Chiefly British.
The past tense of cotton on, which means to take a liking to something or, more commonly now, to catch on to an idea or situation.
- discoveredFound something previously unknown
- wised upBecame aware, finally
- understandGrasp the meaning
- graspedClutched or understood
- realizeBecome aware of
perceived · noticed · clicked · penny dropped · comprehend · discerned · twigged · dawned on · light bulb moment · insight · figured out · detected · epiphany · got it · acknowledged · caught on · clued in · saw the light
comprehension/awareness
cottoned onmissed the point
Failed to understand the essence
overlooked · missed · zoned out · misunderstood · blanked