as in clenches
to close or secure (something, such as a door) with a latch
latch the gate
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of latches
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
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
-
When the sky darkens, her stomach clenches.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
-
In a similar way, a man who is defiant stiffens his neck, squares his shoulders, lowers his brows, and clenches his fists with his knuckles forward.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This summer, video boards were installed on the end zones and a new scoreboard that is 56 percent larger hangs above the playing court.—
Jason Quick,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The park’s 1,040-foot via ferrata includes two aerial walkways, a 54-foot steel staircase, and a 90-foot suspension bridge that hangs 105 feet above a pond.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The leadoff round-tripper was the 11th hit this season by Buxton, which ties Jacque Jones (2002) for the Twins’ club record.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Fall Mug for Everyday Cheer A seasonal mug is a practical gift that also ties the basket together.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Dow clinches record high The Dow on Friday clinched its first closing record high of the year.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
22 Aug. 2025
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
-
Here, Lloyd clamps a muzzle — part fetish club, part Bane — over Lucky’s mouth while Pozzo pushes him in a wheelchair (the actor, Michael Patrick Thornton, uses a chair).—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Parsley is a biennial that quickly bolts and dies the second year, and since second-year parsley is bitter, it’s typically grown as an annual.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In that moment, Dupree involuntarily punches him and the pair go quiet as Dooley cusses and bends over wincing in pain.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Autocrats do not think that history bends toward justice.—
Richard Stengel,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Latches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/latches. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share