catch on

(phrasal verb) to understand something after trying for a long time

Example Sentence:

Shelly, took a long time to catch on to the joke that everyone was laughing about.

It took me 2 years of living in Canada before I caught on to the rules of hockey. Now I love it!

Parent: How is my little Timmy doing at school?
Teacher: He is very smart! Timmy is always catching on to difficult concepts long before the other students!
Parent: Nice!

Media:

Similar idioms:

1. catch someone red-handed
2. bite off more than one can chew
3. catch someone off guard
4. tell on someone
5. catch some rays
6. smart cookie
7. catch you later
8. get through to