Illustration of hinge
- hinge 1a
1
a
: a jointed or flexible device on which a door, lid, or other swinging part turns
b
: a flexible ligamentous joint
c
: a small piece of thin gummed paper used in fastening a postage stamp in an album
2
: a determining factor : turning point
hinged; hinging
1
: to swing on or as if on a hinge
These thoughtful amenities include … an outdoor patio TV that hinges outward toward the pool …—
Paul Takahashi
Paul Takahashi… we pulled within feet of a 12-foot crocodile, his huge jaw hinging open in warning to reveal a toothy grin.—Andrea Bartz
Andrea Bartz2
: to be contingent on a single consideration or point
—used with on or upon
the prosecution's case hinges on the DNA evidence
: to attach by or furnish with hinges
Examples of hinge in a Sentence
Verb
the outcome of the game hinged on a single play
Recent Examples on the Web
Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Dec. 2025
The street-facing wall sagged, and the front door, ripped from its hinges, lay on the ground.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Matt Barrows, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
In the quiet geometry of their webs, survival may hinge less on strength or speed than on how convincingly a spider can render its own likeness.
—New Atlas, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hinge
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Noun
Brace your stomach and push your hips back with a slight bend in your knees (don’t let your back bend, hinge from your hips instead).
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Dec. 2025
The street-facing wall sagged, and the front door, ripped from its hinges, lay on the ground.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
This, of course, hinges heavily on what One-Miss Eddy will command as a free agent.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
In the quiet geometry of their webs, survival may hinge less on strength or speed than on how convincingly a spider can render its own likeness.
—New Atlas, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hinge
Cite this Entry
“Hinge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hinge. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hinge
1 of 2 noun1
: a jointed piece on which a door, lid, or other swinging part turns
2
: the joint between valves of a bivalve's shell
hinge
2 of 2 verb
hinged; hinging
1
: to attach by or provide with hinges
2
: to hang or turn as if on a hinge : depend
our success hinges on this decision
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