as in clenching
to close or secure (something, such as a door) with a latch
latch the gate
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Recent Examples of latching
Here against Casa Pia, for example, Suarez sets off at speed as soon as the ball breaks loose, latching onto an outside-of-the-boot pass with a run into the channels that is reminiscent of Gyokeres at Sporting last season.
—
Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Leslie Mann delivers a heartwarming performance as a woman drifting through a midlife reset, latching onto two college students locked in a subtle competition for her attention.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
The strategy is paying off, with an increasing number of listeners latching onto Toledo’s great versions of these soul/pop/R&B classics.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Fifth-place Monaco grabbed a second goal 10 minutes into the second half when midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, who had just come on, slid the ball into the bottom corner after latching onto a cross from the right.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Now, some are latching onto the wave of anti-OpenAI sentiment to voice broader critiques of the company.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Mar. 2026
One very funny snippet has Elvis giving a sweet peck on the cheek to a little girl at the lip of the stage followed by what appears to be her big sister latching her lips onto him like a mollusk before being peeled off by her mother.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
Naval warfare goes a bit clingy as Lockheed Martin unveils its robotic Lamprey Multi-Mission Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (MMAUV), which can hitch a ride on friendly ships or submarines by latching onto their hulls to conserve power.
—David Szondy
february 09, New Atlas, 9 Feb. 2026
Some bright minds are already latching onto this idea.
—Anthony Digiorgio, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Leslie Mann delivers a heartwarming performance as a woman drifting through a midlife reset, latching onto two college students locked in a subtle competition for her attention.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
The strategy is paying off, with an increasing number of listeners latching onto Toledo’s great versions of these soul/pop/R&B classics.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Fifth-place Monaco grabbed a second goal 10 minutes into the second half when midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, who had just come on, slid the ball into the bottom corner after latching onto a cross from the right.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Now, some are latching onto the wave of anti-OpenAI sentiment to voice broader critiques of the company.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Mar. 2026
One very funny snippet has Elvis giving a sweet peck on the cheek to a little girl at the lip of the stage followed by what appears to be her big sister latching her lips onto him like a mollusk before being peeled off by her mother.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
Naval warfare goes a bit clingy as Lockheed Martin unveils its robotic Lamprey Multi-Mission Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (MMAUV), which can hitch a ride on friendly ships or submarines by latching onto their hulls to conserve power.
—David Szondy
february 09, New Atlas, 9 Feb. 2026
Some bright minds are already latching onto this idea.
—Anthony Digiorgio, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for latching
Verb
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In the premiere, Rue and Faye run drugs across the border, clenching their butts to hold bags of fentanyl in their digestive tract for as long as possible.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Protect against teeth grinding, clenching and enamel damage with custom dental solutions from ClearClub.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As the sun set below the tree line, the warm wood paneling turned a rich brown color that complemented the rattan light fixtures hanging above, giving the space a modern yet warm feeling.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 May 2026
-
Here are the 10 questions hanging over Tuesday’s big news.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Barrett shot a 1-under 69, tying for fourth place with Oliver Clark of Baltimore and Charlie Hanson of Manakin Sabot, Virginia.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
7 May 2026
-
Barahona and his wife, Carmen, beat and tortured the twins, tying them with electrical cord and shocking them in a bathtub with the door locked, investigators said.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Verb
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McDaniels held onto Murray for dear life — often literally clasping his jersey — as the Nuggets tried to run him off every conceivable screen.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
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The june bug falls to the bottom of the bag but manages to recover from a new round of kicking by clasping to a leaf.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Premier League Preview Manchester United hosts Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday in a huge rivalry game with both teams close to clinching Champions League qualification.—
Steve Kornacki,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
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One win away from clinching a spot in the next round, the Lakers have so far weathered the storm created when Reaves and leading scorer Luka Doncic both suffered injuries in the same game on April 2.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For many adults, the beauty book triggered memories of a pre-social-media childhood spent cutting pictures out of magazines and pasting them into notebooks.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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All medical specialties have rules for filling out their notes, and ABA providers shouldn’t need the state to tell them that copying and pasting the same summary for each session, as the inspectors found in some cases, wasn’t good enough, Bimestefer said.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By clamping the bag shut, the clips help keep air and moisture out, which slows staleness and helps food stay fresh longer.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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Using long tongs, carefully add each tortilla to the oil, gently clamping closed for a moment to help the shell set.—
Carole Kotkin,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Other footage from outside the restaurant shows the man bending the standup heaters and throwing more chairs.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The royal made a beeline to the young boys, immediately bending down to their eye level and shaking their hands.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Latching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/latching. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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