latch on

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

The latter quickly earned respect in the NFL, scoring three touchdowns in six games as a rookie with the Miami Dolphins, before eventually latching on with the Colts in 2024. — James Boyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

But Michael had already latched on to the idea that Donnie was sick—and that one person was to blame. — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

While Spanish police escorted most of the individuals back to Morocco with the help of Moroccan authorities, the European far right quickly latched on to the episode as fodder to further fuel its anti-migrant policies. — Kelsey Norman, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026

Another tactic is treating ship hulls with special paint that thwarts unwanted hitchhikers from latching on. — ABC News, 30 July 2026

Rhymes for latch on

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon