latch onto

1. Also, latch on to.

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]

3. 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]

Example Sentences

Allen is particularly adept at having “late hands,” waiting until the last possible moment to reach up and latch onto the football, rather than giving the defender ample time beforehand to prepare for the incoming pass.

From Los Angeles Times

I love my life here, and I want that enthusiasm to be something that other people can find and harness and latch onto for their own lives here; for people to say, “I know my state senator. I know she’s looking out for my interest because she showed up and knocked on my door, and we had a conversation.”

From Salon

Online stan-dom thrives in pernicious cruelty, and social media has become the breeding ground for people like Matthew, who feel adrift until they find a pop star to latch onto and a community of like-minded fans to team up with.

From Salon

Online stan-dom thrives in pernicious cruelty, and social media has become the breeding ground for people like Matthew, who feel adrift until they find a pop star to latch onto and a community of like-minded fans to team up with.

From Salon

The bright yellow compound is known to latch onto water droplets that are already present in clouds, converting them into ice crystals that can fall as rain or snow, depending on the temperature below.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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