pick up on

1. Become aware of, notice, as in The teacher picked up on her nervousness right away. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

Discussion of the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics was mostly delivered with stilted hamminess from both, with Martin occasionally shoehorning in jokes that Meier did not pick up on.

From Slate

I don’t know, because I’m not a football fan, but you don’t have to be clued in on the sport to pick up on the ideas “HIM” is getting at right from the jump: the perils of masculinity, the dangers of glorifying violent spectacle, the parallels between hero worship and religion.

From Salon

“There are absolutely things that you can kind of pick up on and try to use in the future,” Dreyer said.

From Los Angeles Times

“The casinos were probably the first ones to pick up on that right before the pandemic,” Chávez said.

From Los Angeles Times

The characters may be heroic or eccentric, but they’re heroic or eccentric within a recognized mold, with enough individual personality to make them lovable over a long run, and you can pick up on the interpersonal vibes pretty quickly.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• catch 
• come upon 
• design 
• detect 
• determine 
• devise 
• disclose 
• explore 
• hear 
• identify 
• invent 
• learn 
• locate 
• notice 
• observe 
• realize 
• recognize 
• reveal 
• see 
• spot