hinge

noun

\ ˈhinj

Definition of hinge

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

hinge

verb

hinged; hinging

Definition of hinge (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

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 … we pulled within feet of a 12-foot crocodile, his huge jaw hinging open in warning to reveal a toothy grin.— Andrea Bartz

2 : to be contingent on a single consideration or point —used with on or upon the prosecution's case hinges on the DNA evidence

transitive verb

: to attach by or furnish with hinges

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hinge

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Synonyms for hinge

Synonyms: Verb

depend, hang, ride, turn

Examples of hinge in a Sentence

Verb

the outcome of the game hinged on a single play

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

While the air intake vents sit on the machine's bottom, the air output vents are located on the hinge. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Dell Inspiron 13 7000 review: Premium and practical all in one," 6 July 2019 For many years, collectors acted as the hinge in the market, linking farmers with exporters, the bush with the road. — The Economist, "The murky world of Madagascar’s roaring vanilla trade," 5 July 2019 Looking to the future, Intel displayed a new two-screen concept laptop PC design, codenamed Honeycomb Glacier, that features a second, narrower display below the hinge of the notebook’s main display and above the keyboard in the lower half. — Michelle Maltais, USA TODAY, "The games were the star of E3, but gaming PCs were center stage," 15 June 2019 Some hinges were defective and some reviewers' screens broke after the Fold's protective film was removed. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN, "AT&T cancels preorders for Samsung Galaxy Fold but patents a stretchable phone," 13 June 2019 Next, depending on how the prism attaches to the rest of the graph, the researchers partition the graph into two parts, left and right, with a set of nodes serving as a hinge between them. — Quanta Magazine, "Theorists Draw Closer to Perfect Coloring," 20 Oct. 2015 Bonus: That additional hinge manages to boost the top screen closer to eye level. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Intel dreams of the PC's future: 'Ambient PCs,' fancy fabrics, and a monster dual-display gaming rig," 29 May 2019 That's right, not a hint of cheap plastic or bulky hinges in sight. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "This Is The World's Chicest Baby Gate," 25 Mar. 2019 Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist at the Good Housekeeping Institute, recommends performing a quick pinch-test by sticking a No. 2 pencil into any possible pinch points (like a canopy hinge) and then close or fold it. — Megan Friedman, Good Housekeeping, "Thousands of Children Are Injured by Strollers and Baby Carriers Every Year," 18 Aug. 2016

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

His formula hinges on ball-striking more than power. — Ron Kroichick, SFChronicle.com, "Cal alum Collin Morikawa makes loud, immediate splash on PGA Tour," 10 July 2019 These stories hinge on age-old anxieties but feel contemporary in their depictions of modern motherhood. — Alexandra Alter, New York Times, "What to Expect When You’re Expecting Evil," 6 July 2019 American improvement hinges on McKennie and Altidore Pulisic’s quality is pretty much constant. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "After Handling Jamaica, Weather Delay, USMNT Gets Gold Cup Final vs. Mexico," 4 July 2019 The main wrinkle, aside from the kids getting older and making out, hinges on a villain cleverly in tune with the era. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Stranger Things' tackles teen troubles in third season," 3 July 2019 The ongoing diplomatic dispute between the Washington and Tehran hinges on a relatively small technical detail: Iran’s enrichment of uranium. — Adam Taylor, Washington Post, "The future of the Iranian nuclear deal could hinge on one key detail," 2 July 2019 Everything hinges on the meeting between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday morning in Osaka, Japan. — Geoffrey Smith, Fortune, "A Fear at the G20 Summit: That the U.S.-China Trade War Turns Into a Currency Conflict," 28 June 2019 That likely hinges on how the U.S. Supreme Court rules on gerrymandering cases, decisions expected this week. — Jason Williams, Cincinnati.com, "PX column: The return of Aftab Pureval. See why Democrat might run for Congress again in 2020," 24 June 2019 So much of this show hinges on the relationship between Jules and Rue (Zendaya). — Tim Stack, EW.com, "Euphoria breakout Hunter Schafer on daring show: 'There's a lot of stuff that hasn't been on TV before'," 24 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hinge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.