latch onto

• latch on to

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latch onto (third-person singular simple present latches onto, present participle latching onto, simple past and past participle latched onto)

1. (idiomatic, transitive) To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something.

   They latched onto the idea and gave it up only reluctantly.

   • 2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     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.

2. (idiomatic, transitive) To approach or stay close to someone, especially in a manner perceived as bothersome.

   He was looking for someone to talk to and latched onto me for some reason.

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

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