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
According to the commission, standards include general requirements such as corner posts, protective components, openings, latching and locking mechanisms, as well as performance requirements like height of sides, mesh requirements and mattress vertical displacement.
—
Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
So before latching onto the latest diet fad, take a deep breath and head outside instead.
—CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
This sent Teddy down a rabbit hole of Internet conspiracy theories that ultimately led to him latching onto the idea that Michelle is an alien-in-disguise from the Andromeda galaxy who was sent to Earth as part of a plot to wipe out humanity.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
A lot of people in his position might have let persona take over when the audience is sort of latching onto that image.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
At one point, Terrill, who was wearing long acrylic fingernails, hooked her finger on one cuff to prevent the Agents from latching the second cuff onto her wrist.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
The following Sunday, Fulham’s Emile Smith Rowe equalised by latching onto a cross.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Online videos and orientation make the process easy to learn, and the team is there to guide the way through situations such as when the kitten is not latching or going to the bathroom.
—Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Common issues include challenges with the baby latching onto your nipple, sore nipples, low milk supply, thrush, plugged milk ducts, inflammation of the breast (mastitis), and inverted nipples.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for latching
Verb
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Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.—
Verb
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Such rotting fruit from the forest floor contained higher concentrations of fermenting yeast and alcohol than the fruits hanging from trees.—
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Even as students work longer hours to avoid borrowing, loans accumulate like a cloud hanging overhead.—
Verb
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Even if the Rams had scored with, say, 90 seconds to go instead of 38 seconds, because a blitz misfired, at least Carolina would have had time to try for a tying field goal and send the game into OT.—
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And an offsides penalty by defensive end Braden Fiske on third-and-five gave the Panthers a fresh set of downs on a drive that ended in a game-tying field goal.—
Verb
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Flex your left knee at a 90-degree angle and place the rope around the mid-foot, clasping the rope with the right hand.—
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Next page, clasping hands with Schweitzer in her satin, white wedding dress with a rose bouquet.—
Verb
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At the 1999 Academy Awards, the former film took home a whopping seven Oscars, with Paltrow herself clinching the award for Best Actress at the age of 26.—
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A week after clinching the I-70 Series for a fourth consecutive year, the Kansas City Comets are now left with questions to answer after dropping the final two games of the six-game series.—
Verb
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Analysts can now spend time on important work like diagnosing complex issues or improving processes, not copy-pasting tickets.—
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Continue cutting and pasting napkin pieces until your ornament is fully covered.—
Verb
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Fire crews assisted with keeping the baby's airways clear, clamping and cutting the umbilical cord, and wrapping the little one in a towel to stay warm.—
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The vineyard says the town updated its noise guidelines the year after the business opened in 2017, unfairly clamping and shuttering the series for years at a time.—
Verb
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The announcement could be the first sign that the new government is open to returning some freedom of expression to the country, and bending to pressure from opposition groups and the American government.—
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Pull your breastbone toward the bar by bending your elbows.—
Cite this Entry
“Latching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/latching. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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