be on to
Idioms-
Be aware of or have information about, as in They can't pull that trick again; we're on to them now . [ Colloquial ; second half of 1800s]
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Discover something important or profitable, as in The researchers claim they are really on to something big . [ Colloquial ; mid-1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If England can add the ingredients of pressure and accountability, then they might still be on to something.
From BBC
It barely had time to be "on", to be fair.
From BBC
And yet here I am, about to tell you that young people might be on to something.
From MarketWatch
It is not yet clear which "priority courses" students would have to be on to be eligible for a grant, with the government saying more details would be provided in November's autumn Budget.
From BBC
Their smiles and laughter suggest it was a bit of banter, but might they be on to something?
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
