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
Bad things happen when an AI chatbot latches onto one of your neuroses.
—
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 8 Apr. 2026
As the Ivorian latches onto the through pass, Ryan Longman appears into shot, finishing first-time from a cutback to put the away side into the lead.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
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
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 8 Apr. 2026
As the Ivorian latches onto the through pass, Ryan Longman appears into shot, finishing first-time from a cutback to put the away side into the lead.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
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
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
-
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
-
Mar-a-Lago case hangs over decision Historian Timothy Naftali said the Florida case explains a lot about the White House's approach to the records law.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
-
But what if a branch hangs onto a public sidewalk?—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
House Enrolled Act 1002 also ties utility profits to performance metrics, including affordability and service restoration, and utilities will use a three-year rate plan.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The finishing touch is Zab’s Ranch, which ties the dish together with a sweet heat that lingers just long enough to keep each bite interesting.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Heat clinches winning record In moving to 42-39, Miami won for only the fourth time in its past 14 games and assured itself of a winning record for the 19th time in 26 seasons this century.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The victory clinches the Central Division title and secures the top seed in the Western Conference during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 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
-
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
-
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 25 Apr. 2026.
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