latch on

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle on

Usefulness

Meanings

1

Attach yourself firmly to someone or something

Surfaceuncommon

Why “on”? Something touches, grips, or sticks to a surface.

The toddler latched on to my leg.
The toddler attached himself firmly to my leg and wouldn't let go.
Once the puppy latched on to the toy, it would not let go.
The puppy held the toy tightly and would not let go.

Test yourself

The toddler latched on to my leg. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

Sink In app icon

Sink In — iOS & Android

Practice “latch on” in Sink In

Drill “latch on” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.

  • Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
  • Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
  • Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
1,300+ phrasal verbs26 particle patternsBuilt for B1–C2
Sink In daily spaced-repetition practice session