as in to decide
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute
the rain clinched the matter: we would have the party indoors
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Recent Examples of clinch
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But when they’re caught in a clinch by a reporter, the two agree to pretend to be dating and be each other’s partners on the court to help save the club and Niko’s career.
—EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Sep. 2025
As for any big plans up their sleeve for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, which kick off this Sunday, Sept. 14 (and for which which their team clinched the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage)?
—Anika Ljung, People.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clinch
Verb
Pictured below, director/actor/executive producer Jason Bateman and his co-star Jude Law are in the clinch of a classic big-time Hollywood-leading-man wattage-throwdown.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But when they’re caught in a clinch by a reporter, the two agree to pretend to be dating and be each other’s partners on the court to help save the club and Niko’s career.
—EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
The Padres clinched the season series against the Brewers, whose 95-63 record is best in the major leagues.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Sep. 2025
As for any big plans up their sleeve for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, which kick off this Sunday, Sept. 14 (and for which which their team clinched the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage)?
—Anika Ljung, People.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clinch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinch
Verb
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The fun begins as the other housewives arrive, unaware that the studio has decided to stage a role-playing scenario to test their readiness.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
27 Sep. 2025
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After Xaverian missed a go-ahead 36-yard field goal attempt to end the third, Staine decided to begin the fourth and final quarter with one of his signature Hail Mary shots.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Both donning their iconic dark sunglasses at the indoor event, the pair shared a hug and a laugh backstage.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
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Then, their daughter Kaci Lynn, 8, runs over and gives Whitney a big hug.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The network ultimately settled the case out of court for an undisclosed amount.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Sep. 2025
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The casting process for the Netflix movie was nearing its end, and the filmmakers still hadn’t settled on who would play the central couple, whose story is often used as a model for faith and love.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Far from being simply a denunciation of marginalization, the song becomes a sincere embrace of vulnerable childhoods, highlighting the pain of those who grow up in poverty, neglect, and, often, are forced into crime as a means of survival.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
26 Sep. 2025
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Alejandro and his band embrace bomba even more here, dedicating the album’s opener to the genre and leaning into its Afro-Puerto Rican origins and ties to African religions.—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An investigation is underway into the incident, and investigators are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the fight, according to the sheriff’s office.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
27 Sep. 2025
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To help determine how to train and prepare workers, the company is tracking job types to see which increase, decrease and hold steady.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In a crowded discovery market, Bubbo bets on ease-of-use and cross-platform integration to carve out a foothold as the number of streaming services multiplies and users demand more effective content navigation.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
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Overall, aspirin makes the environment more challenging for cancer to get a foothold in, particularly for people with the genetic makeup predisposed to dysregulated cell function, where cancer cell growth and division is more likely.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Through his first 11 quarters in Denver, Engram had accumulated just seven grabs for 51 yards.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
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Metropolitan Park, projected to raise $850 million in taxes for the city and state by its third year in operation, is the largest project of the remaining contenders, which is partly why it’s favored to secure one of the three licenses up for grabs.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Shepp announced that Veal earned the rare Girl Scout Saving Award, an accolade reserved for monumental acts of bravery; Veal, along with her mother, helped save the life of a Sand City Beach fisherman who lost his footing and collapsed, pulling him ashore.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
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The defense found its footing in Ireland.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinch. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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