be onto
phr. v..phr. v.. to discover something important or find out that someone is doing something secret or wrong.
phr. v.. to be in the process of discovering a significant truth, or to have evidence of someone's illicit or hidden activities.
The police are onto the thief's plan.
I think the researchers are onto a major breakthrough with this new medicine.
The investigative journalist realized she was onto something big when the CEO refused to answer her questions regarding the offshore accounts.
- Particles
- onto
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- be + onto + object
usually followed by a person (the suspect) or a noun like 'something' or 'a discovery'.
distinguish between the literal 'on to' (movement) and the idiomatic 'be onto' (discovery); the latter is often used with 'something' to mean a good idea is forming.
He is on to a secret.He is onto a secret.while 'on to' is sometimes used, 'onto' as one word is the standard form for this idiomatic meaning of discovery.