latch onto

1. Attach oneself to, join in with, as in Rob didn't know the way so he latched on to one of the older children . [c. 1930]

2. Get hold of, grasp; also, understand, grasp mentally. For example, They latched onto a fortune in the fur trade , or Carol quickly latched on to how the sewing machine works . [c. 1930]

Idioms and Phrases

Also, latch on to .

Example Sentences

On the other hand, the viruses in birds, cattle, and people so far show no signs of the 226L hemagglutinin mutation that would allow H5N1 to better latch onto human receptors.

From Science Magazine

They then examined the hemagglutinin proteins, or spikes, on the outer surface of the virus, since those enable it to latch onto the cell membrane of its host.

From Los Angeles Times

Lead is absorbed in the small intestine, where it can latch onto cellular receptors that evolved to carry iron and other metals.

From Salon

“They were ours, you latch onto your own,” she said.

From BBC

On its face, this is an odd issue to latch onto, given that it directly affects just a teeny-tiny number of Americans and, in the grand scheme of things, is pretty low-stakes.

From Slate

Related Words

• accept
• acquire
• admit
• bear
• carry
• enjoy
• gain
• get
• hold
• include
• keep
• obtain
• own
• pick up
• possess
• receive
• retain
• take