pick up on

Idioms and Phrases

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

Example Sentences

“You can pick up on something about someone’s past relationships through what they find funny, or what they can’t find funny,” Golden stresses.

From Los Angeles Times

County customers and 8,100 Orange County customers, warning that the utility may consider power cuts once the Santa Ana winds pick up on Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times

“Obviously that joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or our campaign. And I think it is sad that the media will pick up on one joke that was made by a comedian rather than the truths that were shared by the phenomenal list of speakers that we had.”

From Los Angeles Times

Kids in your life will pick up on your relationship with money and develop habits based on their interpretation of it.

From Salon

“They’re like little sponges, soaking up every conversation, action and even the unspoken stuff, like body language or the vibe in the room. We might think some things go over their heads, but they pick up on way more than we realize.”

From Salon

Related Words

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