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]
-
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 it feels like the rain just hasn't stopped this year, you might be on to something.
From BBC
“Hey, that’s a good theory. You might be on to something!”
From Literature
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
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.
