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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clinch
John Wawrow, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
This year, that meant the Victoire could have their pick between Minnesota and the Ottawa Charge, which clinched the fourth and final playoff spot on the final day of the season.
—Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers watched the Philadelphia Phillies clinch the National League East title on their home diamond after losing Monday's matchup in a back-and-forth duel.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clinch
Verb
The Charge closed 4-0 and clinched their playoff berth with a season-ending 3-0 win over Toronto.
—John Wawrow, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
This year, that meant the Victoire could have their pick between Minnesota and the Ottawa Charge, which clinched the fourth and final playoff spot on the final day of the season.
—Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
The Padres will at some point clinch a playoff berth, perhaps as soon as tomorrow.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers watched the Philadelphia Phillies clinch the National League East title on their home diamond after losing Monday's matchup in a back-and-forth duel.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clinch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinch
Verb
-
The Padres got a force at second base while Meidroth decided to take off for home.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
Unlike many of her peers, Pau decided to maintain a professional day job while pursuing her artistic practice.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The scratches, mild but visible, are from the ravenous audience who pushes toward her night after night — grasping for a hug, a high-five, a brush of her fingers or the hem of her sleeve.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
-
His new bakery, Dad’s Bakeshop, aims to feel — and taste — like a warm hug.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The race there begins somberly in the museum before runners bound up one flight of stairs into a hallway that leads into the main stairwell; from there, the steps settle into continuous, shallow right turns providing a repetitive, hypnotic cadence.—
Michelle Sinclair Colman,
Curbed,
7 May 2026
-
The administration has also settled three deals with developers of more nascent offshore projects, paying back lease fees to the tune of nearly $2 billion in taxpayer dollars for the projects to not be built.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
But the growing embrace of computerized systems has at times meant fewer pencil-and-paper contingency plans when technology breaks down.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Darren Criss and Mia Criss embrace on the carpet at the opening night of The Lost Boys on Broadway on April 26 in New York City.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), which investigates complaints about the NHS, determined that a local health body was denying women, but not men, funding for sterilization.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
-
Their protections may have been further eroded with a precedent decision recently in which the Board of Immigration Appeals determined that DACA status alone is not enough to stop deportation.—
Hallie Golden,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The second generation, which began in the early 2000s, saw K-pop gain footholds in regional markets like China, Japan and Southeast Asia.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
-
On balance, the Big 12 PE partnership makes sense for schools and investors who want a foothold in what’s thought to be a lucrative industry.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
That still leaves three slots up for grabs.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
-
The grab handles, as well as much of the build plate assembly, are covered with plastic, which gives the machine a less-than-premium feel.—
Michael Lydick,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Yet this didn’t leave the warring empires on equal footing.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Arts organizations will also be on stronger financial footing.—
Glenn Davis,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinch. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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