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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This week, Carlos Alcaraz took over clay season without hitting a ball, a very patriotic fuel source was key to one player’s Italian Open run and the lawsuit hanging over professional tennis took a new twist.—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
For care, the brand recommends machine-washing with a gentle cycle then hanging it to air-dry.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Bichette dropped a flare into shallow center field out of the reach of converging defenders, allowing Torrens to score the tying run, and Benge to go to first.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
-
James would score two big goals in the series, a tying goal in the second period of Game 5 and the Lightning’s only goal in Game 7, on the power play.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Verb
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In one segment, when Kimmel and McNearney pick up a hitchhiking Olivia Rodrigo while taking the family to school, Jane shows off her personality, clasping her hands over her mouth in disbelief when Rodrigo enters the car, only to sing-along with the pop star on her way to school.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
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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
Verb
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Similarly, Adam Lambert has become a household name after clinching second place on season 8 in 2009.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
Michela Cava of the Ottawa Charge celebrates her game-winning double overtime and series clinching goal against Aerin Frankel of the Boston Fleet on May 10, 2026, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 May 2026
Verb
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But the instructions on the sites are really designed to trick visitors into copying and pasting a command into the Terminal utility, and then running it, leading to a malware infection.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
7 May 2026
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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
Verb
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Instead of rotating for adjusting its opening, the Renchi features jaws that slide along a linear axis with 12 locking plates for clamping force.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 May 2026
-
The plush cushioning in the earcups, leatherette finish, and modest clamping force hold them securely.—
Mark Knapp,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
Verb
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If something about the now-problematic gender-bending killer of Camp Miasma reminds you of 1983’s Sleepaway Camp, Schoenbrun is not coy about the parallel.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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The galaxy's red and orange spiral arms bending outward can measure tens or even hundreds of light-years across.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Latching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/latching. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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