clinch 1 of 2

verb

ˈklinch How to pronounce clinch (audio)
Definition of clinchnext
as in to decide
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute the rain clinched the matter: we would have the party indoors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clinch

2 of 2

noun

as in hug

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clinch
Verb
Governor's race In the governor's race, Klobuchar appears poised to clinch the Democratic nomination to succeed Walz. — Diana Paulsen, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 The initial, ceasefire phase of that plan was clinched last October. — Dan Williams, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026
Noun
Heat clinches winning record In moving to 42-39, Miami won for only the fourth time in its past 14 games and assured itself of a winning record for the 19th time in 26 seasons this century. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026 By virtue of their relative scarcity—there have been eight empty-the-tank outings since the century began—every Game 7 is an unqualified treat, but the Dodgers’ clinch was one for the ages. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clinch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinch
  1. decide
  2. hug
  3. settle
  4. embrace
  5. determine
  6. foothold
  7. grab
  8. footing
Verb
  • His company depended on a third-party tool to connect its data infrastructure, and the deciding problem turned out not to be the price.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Just a few hours after dropping pics of herself with voluminous, body-licious curls, Khloé Kardashian decided to kick off August with a fresh hair cut—and introduced us all to her alter ego, Bob Kardashian, in the process.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of decide
Noun
  • Before saluting the judges, Rivera embraced her coach Anna Liukin for a long-winded hug.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Jim went in for a hug, one that was too close, too tight and several seconds too long.
    — Lori Resnick, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of hug
Verb
  • So the family left, arriving in the United States in 1987 and settling in Virginia.
    — Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • There haven’t been many opportunities for catcher Miguel Amaya to settle in with regular at-bats this season.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of settle
Noun
  • The admission, an aside in a wide-ranging interview, raised eyebrows in the recovery community given the star’s very public embrace of sobriety after joining a 12-step program following his 2016 split from wife Angelina Jolie.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • With the embrace of partisan gerrymandering and geographic sorting, where individuals gravitate toward politically similar populations, few races are competitive on election day.
    — Jack Harvel August 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of embrace
Verb
  • Currently, each state has the power to determine its own rules, with many states opting to return a portion of the interest generated back to homeowners.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Mosser has not come to the negotiating table just yet, but Richardson says his office is determined to fix a wrong.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of determine
Noun
  • Ooredoo, which has had a foothold in Indonesia for nearly two decades, sees data center demand more than tripling in Southeast Asia by 2030.
    — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • With filmmaking gaining a firm foothold in the state, suburbs like Naperville, Lisle and Long Grove have either put guardrails in place to protect their towns or are working toward that goal.
    — Steve Zalusky, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of foothold
Noun
  • On Monday night, players across the country will once again try to turn a $2 ticket into $905 million, chasing one of the largest lottery prizes ever up for grabs.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Bregman pulled a 95 mph fastball into the hole, but Witt made a terrific backhand grab to corral the baseball.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of grab
Noun
  • While Burger King tried to find its footing, Wendy's was dealing with a revolving door of chief executives at a time when consumers were growing even more value conscious and beef costs were soaring.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
  • After missing his rookie season in 2022 while receiving treatment for leukemia, Metchie has struggled to find his footing as a consistent playmaker.
    — Mike Kaye August 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of footing

Browse Nearby Words

climes
clinch
clinched
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinch. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on clinch

Nglish: Translation of clinch for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All