latch on
Cling to securely
Latch on means to attach firmly, either physically or figuratively.
A baby latches on to the breast when nursing; a person latches on to an idea when they seize it with enthusiasm or refuse to let it go.
The phrase often suggests persistence or even unwanted attachment: He latched on to me at the party and wouldn't stop talking.
If you latch on to something someone says, you grasp its significance or adopt it as your own.
- get itUnderstand, often informally
- cotton onBegin to understand
- pick up onNotice or detect
- take upStart doing regularly
- breastfeedNurse an infant naturally
understand · comprehend · grasp · get the hang of · sink in · dig · realize · get the picture · obsess · suckle · clasp · catch on · embrace · fixate · glom onto · cling · hold tight · get a grip
- catch oncatch on, figure out, realize, understand, cotton on
- mouth actionsbite, biting, chewing, chew, swallowing
- seizinggrab, seize, grasp, clutch, snatch
- understandingunderstand, comprehend, grasp, fathom, follow
- hugshug, hugging, embrace, bear hug, group hug
latch onmiss the point
Fail to understand essence
miss · misunderstand · overlook · tune out · lose the thread
attach, detach, latch, attachment, detachment, unlatched, latched, latches, latching