1
: a strap that holds a saddle on a horse
2
: a tight grip
3
a
: a thing done with ease
Getting reelected would be a cinch for him.
b
: a certainty to happen
it's a cinch he'll break the record
cinched; cinching; cinches
1
a
: to put a cinch on
cinch a horse
b
: to fasten (something, such as a belt or strap) tightly
He cinched his belt tight.
2
: to make certain : assure
the goal that cinched the victory
: to tighten the cinch
—often used with up
cinched up before mounting his horse
Synonyms
Examples of cinch in a Sentence
Noun
This recipe is a cinch.
This dish is a cinch to make.
Verb
The coat is cinched at the waist.
The rider cinched the saddle.
The candidate cinched the nomination by winning the major primary elections.
The home run cinched the victory.
Recent Examples on the Web
K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 26 Mar. 2024
The bottoms have a universally flattering high cut that cinches at right at the waistline.
—Taylor Jean Stephan, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2024
There might be a stretch of road to cross, or a much smaller cinch point.
—Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024
The rotisserie-like chicken will be so tender, carving is a cinch.
—Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024
Recommended for kids aged 18 months and up, the toy is also a cinch to clean up since all the quills pack up neatly inside the hedgehog’s body.
—Christine Luff, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024
And that rev-happy 4.0-liter engine made shifting, even with the 964 clutch pedal, a relative cinch.
—Michael Van Runkle, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Australia hasn’t dodged the cost-of-living crisis, and selling concert and festival tickets isn’t a cinch.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 14 Feb. 2024
Maneuverability was a cinch thanks to a whopping eight wheels—two at each corner—so this pick could spin, take corners, and go up/down stairs easily.
—Barbara Bellesi Zito, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Feb. 2024
Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Mar. 2024
Negotiators took so long working out the final details of the package, and the House took so long putting it to a vote after the deal was cinched, that the Senate had scant time — by its slow standards — to pass the legislation before midnight.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
The gown was draped across her body, creating the illusion of a wrap dress that cinched at her hip with more fabric than seen by her bust or legs.
—Stacy Lambe, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024
Take, for instance, a satin, off-the-shoulder gown cinched with a statement buckle belt, or a very literal take on a ballerina’s tutu featuring a corset and a tiny tulle skirt.
—Laura Neilson, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Running through the inner-north suburbs of Thornbury, Northcote, and Preston, the thoroughfare earned the highest rankings from Time Out’s global network of local editors and writers, to cinch the title of Coolest Street in the World.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024
President Joe Biden cinched the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2024 election on Tuesday night after winning primary races in Georgia, Mississippi, Washington and the Northern Mariana Islands.
—USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
The busiest single day of the presidential primary calendar came and went quietly this year: Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden swept easy victories on Super Tuesday, coming steps closer to cinching nominations that for months election watchers have presumed would be theirs.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024
Others, however, pointed out that properly fitting corsets — since the garment was invented hundreds of years ago — are tight-fitting and cinch the waist exactly like this.
—Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
This thermostat is a cinch to install, plays nice with lots of third-party systems, and has dual-band Wi-Fi support.
—K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 26 Mar. 2024
The bottoms have a universally flattering high cut that cinches at right at the waistline.
—Taylor Jean Stephan, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2024
There might be a stretch of road to cross, or a much smaller cinch point.
—Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024
The rotisserie-like chicken will be so tender, carving is a cinch.
—Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024
Recommended for kids aged 18 months and up, the toy is also a cinch to clean up since all the quills pack up neatly inside the hedgehog’s body.
—Christine Luff, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024
And that rev-happy 4.0-liter engine made shifting, even with the 964 clutch pedal, a relative cinch.
—Michael Van Runkle, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Australia hasn’t dodged the cost-of-living crisis, and selling concert and festival tickets isn’t a cinch.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 14 Feb. 2024
Maneuverability was a cinch thanks to a whopping eight wheels—two at each corner—so this pick could spin, take corners, and go up/down stairs easily.
—Barbara Bellesi Zito, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Feb. 2024
Verb
The design in question featured what looked like a globe at the top and bottom being cinched in the middle by the Pepsi wrapper.
—Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Mar. 2024
Negotiators took so long working out the final details of the package, and the House took so long putting it to a vote after the deal was cinched, that the Senate had scant time — by its slow standards — to pass the legislation before midnight.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
The gown was draped across her body, creating the illusion of a wrap dress that cinched at her hip with more fabric than seen by her bust or legs.
—Stacy Lambe, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024
Take, for instance, a satin, off-the-shoulder gown cinched with a statement buckle belt, or a very literal take on a ballerina’s tutu featuring a corset and a tiny tulle skirt.
—Laura Neilson, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Running through the inner-north suburbs of Thornbury, Northcote, and Preston, the thoroughfare earned the highest rankings from Time Out’s global network of local editors and writers, to cinch the title of Coolest Street in the World.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024
President Joe Biden cinched the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2024 election on Tuesday night after winning primary races in Georgia, Mississippi, Washington and the Northern Mariana Islands.
—USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
The busiest single day of the presidential primary calendar came and went quietly this year: Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden swept easy victories on Super Tuesday, coming steps closer to cinching nominations that for months election watchers have presumed would be theirs.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024
Others, however, pointed out that properly fitting corsets — since the garment was invented hundreds of years ago — are tight-fitting and cinch the waist exactly like this.
—Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cinch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Spanish cincha, from Latin cingula girdle, girth, from cingere — more at cincture
First Known Use
Noun
1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1866, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Articles Related to cinch
Dictionary Entries Near cinch
Cite this Entry
“Cinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinch. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
cinch
1 of 2 noun1
: a strong girth for a pack or saddle
2
: an easy thing to do
3
: something sure to happen
cinch
2 of 2 verb1
: to put a cinch on
2
: to make certain
the goal that cinched the victory
More from Merriam-Webster on cinch
Nglish: Translation of cinch for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cinch
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