as in clenches
to close or secure (something, such as a door) with a latch
latch the gate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of latches
In the footage, the larger male bear latches onto the smaller bear with its mouth, sinking its teeth into the animal, repeatedly ripping at the female bear's fur and skin.
—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
In a TikTok video, Eve promotes this $15 safety device that easily latches onto the strike plate of any door.
—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2026
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
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
In a TikTok video, Eve promotes this $15 safety device that easily latches onto the strike plate of any door.
—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2026
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
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.
-
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.
Verb
-
King clasps his head, ready to shield his eyes if need be.
-
Abner clasps Questelle’s face in her hands.
Verb
-
Just above the front door and beneath a surviving Sparkletts sign hangs the tilework that Gebhard and Winter enjoyed.
-
The kidneys filter uranium out of the blood and clear it from the body in urine, but some of that uranium hangs onto kidney cells and causes damage.
Verb
-
The Composer ties together all aspects of the factory (machines, conveyors, sensors, and logistics flows) into a unified simulation.
-
This full moon arrives in the zodiac sign of Capricorn, which ties to ambition and the great structures in our lives.
Verb
-
If its price retreats from these incredible heights by before SpaceX clinches the deal, that number will rise.
-
The venue, home to the NBA's New York Knicks, could also be the site of an impromptu championship celebration if the team clinches the NBA Finals.
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.
Verb
-
The twisting barrel easily clamps to hair (without pulling) and gives you long-lasting curls for up to two days.
-
The Pocket Grip also features a central hex drive that clamps a standard hex bit.
Verb
-
When spinach bolts, the plant focuses its energy on producing flowers and seeds rather than leaves.
-
If Leonard bolts, the Clippers will look to rebuild around young point guard Darius Garland, who came to the team in the Harden trade.
Cite this Entry
“Latches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/latches. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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