Phrasal verb
fasten on
Definition
phrasal verb. to give all your attention to an idea or a person, often because you think they are the cause of a problem.
phrasal verb. to direct one's attention or suspicion toward a specific person, idea, or object; often used when a person selects a single explanation or target from several possibilities.
Examples
“The police fasten on the main suspect very quickly.”
“Critics were quick to fasten on the small mistake in the report to discredit the whole project.”
“The media tended to fasten on the senator's controversial past rather than focusing on his current policy proposals during the debate.”
Examples
simple
“The police fasten on the main suspect very quickly.”
contextual
“Critics were quick to fasten on the small mistake in the report to discredit the whole project.”
complex
“The media tended to fasten on the senator's controversial past rather than focusing on his current policy proposals during the debate.”
Usage
usually followed by a noun or a gerund representing the focus of attention.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'fixate on' (which implies a psychological obsession) or 'focus on' (which is neutral); 'fasten on' often implies a sudden or opportunistic choice of focus.
Pitfall
They fastened on to the idea.
They fastened on the idea.
while 'fasten onto' is common for physical attachment, 'fasten on' is the standard phrasal verb for directing attention or blame.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
fasten + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fasten-on