as in clenches
to close or secure (something, such as a door) with a latch
latch the gate
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Recent Examples of latches
My brain latches onto the process of production so well.
—
Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
The robotic submarine latches onto the hull of friendly ships or submarines, conserving energy while traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to distant mission areas.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Typically said when someone copies a trend, latches onto a friend's obsession, or just teases in a playful way.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 5 Sep. 2025
That against-the-odds spirit is what the documentary crew latches onto as the thread tying their story together.
—Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
The robotic submarine latches onto the hull of friendly ships or submarines, conserving energy while traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to distant mission areas.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Typically said when someone copies a trend, latches onto a friend's obsession, or just teases in a playful way.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 5 Sep. 2025
That against-the-odds spirit is what the documentary crew latches onto as the thread tying their story together.
—Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for latches
Verb
-
As the comedy progresses, its buoyant tone clenches and darkens, and the plot bends and lurches, in ways that, to me, felt unnecessarily punitive toward both Haru and the audience.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As the infection takes hold, a patient’s jaw clenches, forcing the face into what appears to be a wide smile, and the back muscles contort into a painful arch.—
Mustafa Fattah,
NBC news,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Lindo laughs, clasps his hands together and raises them.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Keeping that hardshell closed is a pair of wide, beefy aluminum latches with a lower swing arm that clasps to a closure bar via a pair of hooks.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The crucifix hangs over Holy Spirit in Winfield.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The shadow of Goya, also from Aragón, hangs over many shots.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What ties all five of these spots together is that each one offers something beyond the expected.—
Lauren Schuster,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Xavier’s arc this season also ties into Maddie’s relationship with her mom.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What version of Carlsson’s line (which has often featured Chris Kreider this season) the Ducks get down the stretch could swing whether or not the team clinches a playoff spot.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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But Gophers coach Bob Motzko noted his team doesn’t want to be on the ice when any opponent clinches a conference crown.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The sequencer pastes together the strings and the quality scores, along with some other metadata, read by read, to form what is called a FASTQ file.—
Dmitri Pavlichin,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Aug. 2018
Verb
-
The Pocket Grip also features a central hex drive that clamps a standard hex bit.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The device, which clamps onto the line just above the hook and pairs zinc and graphite in seawater, creates a small electric field about the size of a beachball around the hook, and rattles approaching sharks.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With that in mind, here are a few free agent options who could fit the Yankees if Bellinger bolts.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
14 Jan. 2026
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The canine then bolts across the field and is immediately chased by one horse, with about five more joining in moments later.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Latches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/latches. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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