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
Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
The New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals 130-93 in Game 4 on Monday, clinching their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999.
—CBS News, 26 May 2026
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
The Padres will at some point clinch a playoff berth, perhaps as soon as tomorrow.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clinch
Verb
So, yes, Canada should feel pretty good about itself for clinching the top spot in Group B and not losing a single game.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
The New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals 130-93 in Game 4 on Monday, clinching their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999.
—CBS News, 26 May 2026
Noun
As Red Sox players straggled into their clubhouse to prepare the afternoon’s game, the atmosphere was both triumphant and, by their manager’s own admission, feeling the after-effects of Friday night’s clinch celebrations.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
The Padres will at some point clinch a playoff berth, perhaps as soon as tomorrow.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clinch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinch
Verb
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Thai diver Kengkard Bongkawong told CNN that while the goal is still to rescue the group, an upcoming meeting will decide whether the team should first work together to evacuate them or if the rescuers should split into two groups, with one continuing the search for those unaccounted for.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Hulst and Toomey decided to withdraw from the mile at the State meet.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, Prince Albert, 68, went in for a hug with King Felipe and gave Queen Letizia a hug and la bise (the French greeting with an air kiss on each cheek).—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
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The script called for the teen-ager to sign on the line, the mother to follow the agency woman out into the hallway, and the best friend to enter and give the teen-ager a consoling hug.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The city of Aurora agreed to pay $15 million in November 2021 to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit brought by McClain's parents.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
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McIntire, who settled in on the mound after giving up two home runs, proceeded to tie the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 June 2026
Noun
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But Kyiv’s early embrace of drones, and the mass-industrialization of their accuracy and power, has begun to exact a defining toll on Moscow.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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The release of the funds was a signal of Brussels’ embrace of the new government in Budapest after the 16-year tenure of Viktor Orbán, who was allied with Russia and antagonized the EU.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Regular blood rechecks will be necessary and will determine the need for medications, possibly for the rest of her life.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Just like the choice between a gold or silver band and natural or lab-grown diamonds, engagement ring budgets are personal and should be determined by the couple's budget and long-term financial goals.—
Kelsey Neubauer,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
Noun
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But the incident will no doubt deal a blow to not only Blue Origin's ambitions of gaining ground on commercial spaceflight competitor SpaceX, but also to NASA's ambitions of establishing a foothold on the moon.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Blue Origin, which Amazon's Bezos founded back in 2000, sees the 320-foot-tall (98 meters) New Glenn as its launch workhorse, a powerhouse rocket that will help humanity establish a foothold away from Earth.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Apple is reportedly developing a new iPhone anti-snatching feature that instantly locks the device upon detecting a sudden grab.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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There’s even a smaller sister café, Mercadito Cantina Leon, which serves breakfast, coffee and tea, tacos and other casual grab-and-go items.—
Connie Ogle
May 31,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Back then, there was an overall feeling that the health of the league was on a deteriorating financial footing.—
Maury Brown,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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That suggests the business, which has already shown significant improvement as vendors resumed shipping goods, will be on a much firmer footing once the reorganization is finally completed.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinch. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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