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
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
This complements previous research on ‘smart insulins’ with a synthetic hinge designed to react to such a substance and more accurately regulate blood sugar levels.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Billy Perrigo, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
That doesn’t feel quite right for a sequence that ends in tragedy, hinging largely on Perfidia’s struggles with postpartum depression and her encounters with the limits of revolutionary political violence.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hinge
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Noun
Nelson questioned how the device could justify its IP rating and called the hinge design misleading.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
This complements previous research on ‘smart insulins’ with a synthetic hinge designed to react to such a substance and more accurately regulate blood sugar levels.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
One pilot stops to pick up a bottle of hot sauce from a counter, hinging at the waist, making sure to keep her hands in view of the camera on her headset at all times.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
That doesn’t feel quite right for a sequence that ends in tragedy, hinging largely on Perfidia’s struggles with postpartum depression and her encounters with the limits of revolutionary political violence.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 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 16 Oct. 2025.
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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