Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

latch onto

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.32 in modern English

Syllables: latch on-to
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something.

Transitive verb

verb

To approach or stay close to someone, especially in a manner perceived as bothersome.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"They latched onto the idea and gave it up only reluctantly."
"And there was time for two more All Blacks tries, first flanker Adam Thomson flopping over after a break by Jimmy Cowan, before Williams latched onto a clever cross-kick by Kahui for his second touch-down with three minutes remaining."
"He was looking for someone to talk to and latched onto me for some reason."

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

latches onto (present, singular) latching onto (participle, present) latched onto (participle, past) latched onto (past) latch on to (alternative)

Synonyms

catch on cotton on fasten get onto hook on seize on take up

Questions

What does latch onto mean?: To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something.

How to pronounce latch onto

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “latch onto”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “latch onto”.
Repeat and practice — Say “latch onto” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.