latch on
phrasal verb
latched on; latching on; latches on
British, informal
: to begin to understand something
What he was saying was complicated, so it took me a while to latch on.
Examples of latch on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With imatinib latched on, the ATP site is blocked, preventing BCR-ABL from binding ATP and activating the downstream pathways.
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Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 5 Aug. 2024
Dog ears are clipped for fights to prevent other dogs from latching on to them.
—Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 23 July 2024
Nursing strike: Some babies may also go on a nursing strike during engorgement due to frustration from trying to latch on or coping with a strong letdown.
—Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 22 July 2024
After a sloppy Brazilian giveaway in the U.S. end, Albert latched on to the loose ball and sent a pass forward for Swanson, who timed her run perfectly, staying onside by the tightest of margins.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for latch on 
Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 5 Aug. 2024
Dog ears are clipped for fights to prevent other dogs from latching on to them.
—Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 23 July 2024
Nursing strike: Some babies may also go on a nursing strike during engorgement due to frustration from trying to latch on or coping with a strong letdown.
—Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 22 July 2024
After a sloppy Brazilian giveaway in the U.S. end, Albert latched on to the loose ball and sent a pass forward for Swanson, who timed her run perfectly, staying onside by the tightest of margins.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for latch on
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'latch on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near latch on
Cite this Entry
“Latch on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/latch%20on. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.
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