as in clenched
to close or secure (something, such as a door) with a latch
latch the gate
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Recent Examples of latched
Ayanna Harris-Rashid was sitting up in bed, her newborn son latched to her breast, one hand scrolling on her phone, when the police called.
—
Shoshana Walter, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
TikTok has latched onto the idea that normal facial bloating equals poor health—and the problem goes far beyond misinformation.
—Georgia Casey, Allure, 6 Feb. 2026
Fans latched onto his overdrive vocal style, which sounded like bellows across canyons and fused trap elements into reggaeton.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
But Saccharine slips off the rails, especially once Hana convinces Josie that Bertha’s spirit has latched onto her in malevolent ways, growing bigger and stronger all the time.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Still, that showiness in dialogue is latched to a shallowness of characterization.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2026
Rhine and other backers of the fees latched onto another line in the report that said the charges contribute to less than 5% of total development costs.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Heinrich Himmler and other Third Reich occultists in the 1930s latched onto the strange idea that the Aryan race was not the product of evolution but descended from semidivine beings who left the heavens and established a secret civilization on Earth, possibly beneath Central Asia.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
The ‘Top Gun’ and meme effect Across social networks, users have latched onto the cinematic quality of Macron’s look, repeatedly referencing Top Gun and joking that the French leader appeared ready to step into a cockpit rather than a conference hall.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Shoshana Walter, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
TikTok has latched onto the idea that normal facial bloating equals poor health—and the problem goes far beyond misinformation.
—Georgia Casey, Allure, 6 Feb. 2026
Fans latched onto his overdrive vocal style, which sounded like bellows across canyons and fused trap elements into reggaeton.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
But Saccharine slips off the rails, especially once Hana convinces Josie that Bertha’s spirit has latched onto her in malevolent ways, growing bigger and stronger all the time.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Still, that showiness in dialogue is latched to a shallowness of characterization.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2026
Rhine and other backers of the fees latched onto another line in the report that said the charges contribute to less than 5% of total development costs.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Heinrich Himmler and other Third Reich occultists in the 1930s latched onto the strange idea that the Aryan race was not the product of evolution but descended from semidivine beings who left the heavens and established a secret civilization on Earth, possibly beneath Central Asia.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
The ‘Top Gun’ and meme effect Across social networks, users have latched onto the cinematic quality of Macron’s look, repeatedly referencing Top Gun and joking that the French leader appeared ready to step into a cockpit rather than a conference hall.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for latched
Verb
-
My stomach clenched with worry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Don’t leave home without a rose clenched between your teeth.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The host nation was tied with winter sport-powerhouse Norway heading into yesterday, but a four-medal day gave Italian athletes the edge.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The executive chef at Stagioni-Four Seasons of Food in Charlotte grew up in Columbus, Ohio, spending summers with her grandparents near the Ohio River, helping to tend their garden from the planting stages through harvest time, setting the stage for a career tied to fresh, farm-to-table cuisine.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The doors are locked and a notice of non-payment from National Grid is pasted to the front of El Primo Restaurant in Leominster after federal authorities nabbed its owner and three others for allegedly conducting a $1 million SNAP fraud scheme.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The Broncos had just pasted the Spartans 89-58 and were riding a four-game winning streak, after starting 1-5 in conference play.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Wamps, who went 2-18-1 last season, clinched a state tournament berth Saturday with a 4-0 Bay State Conference win over Needham.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The Dow clinched 40,000 points in May 2024 before hitting 45,000 on December 4 of that year.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Place your forearms on the ground, with your elbows under your shoulders and palms clasped together, forming a fist.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Each had a sidearm clasped in both hands.—
Scott Eden,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Nothing has to be glued or bolted together, and no complicated Ikea-style instructions take up your entire afternoon.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The driver bolted, state police said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And if the elements are glued on, the dryer is likely to cause the glue to melt.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The cop in front of her touched her wrist, the mustached one clamped a hand on her shoulder, and the one to her right grabbed her sleeve.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Florida’s defense has clamped up, holding opponents to three goals or fewer in six of these eight games.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
18 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Latched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/latched. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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