latch on

verb

latched on; latching on; latches on
British, informal
: to begin to understand something
What he was saying was complicated, so it took me a while to latch on.

Examples of latch on in a Sentence

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Another tick will latch on, and your immune system will reignite. Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 They are hired hands and stewards of other people’s capital, with no desire to becoming embroiled in internecine squabbles between clashing advocates, parochial activists, and plain opportunists latching on to the moment. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026 As Democrats hope to flip the House in November, Republicans will latch on to the party's turn to the left, use it to shore up their base, and maybe pick up some votes from moderate Democrats. Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 24 June 2026 Fans latched on too, humming the tune, playing the video — of players and supporters soaking up the scene — on repeat ever since. Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for latch on

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Cite this Entry

“Latch on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/latch%20on. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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