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
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
30 June 2026
The Germans clinched their group with a game to spare and lost 2-1 to Ecuador in the last group game with nothing to play for.
—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Schneider will hand the ball from reliever to reliever hoping to tight-walk to a road clinch.
—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clinch
Verb
And interestingly, every goal that clinched a trophy at one of the four key soccer tournaments came in a control or heritage boot.
—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
30 June 2026
The Germans clinched their group with a game to spare and lost 2-1 to Ecuador in the last group game with nothing to play for.
—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
Noun
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
Schneider will hand the ball from reliever to reliever hoping to tight-walk to a road clinch.
—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clinch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinch
Verb
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Obviously, mom needs to be given the options in this situation and allowed to make her own decisions, but those options can be framed in such a way that mom has to decide the option within the framework of allowing her children their autonomy as well.
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After countless date nights spent wandering Costco aisles during executive member hours and dining on food-court pizza and hot dogs, Beth and Alec Harwerth decided there was no better location for their engagement photos.
Noun
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Ray worked his way out of the jam, then greeted Lee with a hug in the dugout.
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That’s the hug in the middle of the day.
Verb
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Delta has denied these allegations and settled Nejat’s lawsuit last year.
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The company agreed to settle the case without admitting liability.
Noun
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The couple embrace on a leather armchair somewhere in the home in this 1969 snap.
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Today, the country’s embrace of the technology is evidenced by the ubiquity of robots.
Verb
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Readiness is an ongoing practice, not a declaration, determined by daily interactions and the safety to be candid.
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Investigators later determined the teen had distant family members in Colorado.
Noun
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As millions of Venezuelan refugees moved through Latin America, Tren de Aragua established criminal footholds along migration corridors, extending its reach into Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador and eventually the United States.
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Rare artifacts, detailed maps and personal stories walk visitors through a time when control of Fort Pitt meant control of the West, giving colonists a crucial foothold in the struggle against British rule.
Noun
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Ojai was designed for accessibility with large grab bars by the doors and braille on the door controls.
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Bathrooms are wheelchair accessible and can be equipped with a roll-in shower, shower seat, grab bars, and more.
Noun
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How consumers -- especially younger drinkers -- answer them will determine whether an industry long defined by fuddy-duddy pretense can find its footing in 2026 and beyond.
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The aim is to connect a public art event in the city with an in-store retail experience, as part of Samaritaine’s effort to increase foot traffic and find its footing in Paris’ crowded retail landscape.
Cite this Entry
“Clinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinch. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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