clinched

verb

past tense of clinch
as in decided
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute the rain clinched the matter: we would have the party indoors

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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 clinched The Aces, unlike the Fever, have clinched a playoff spot already. — Annie Costabile, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 In fact, the country clinched the first spot in the Ease of Settling In category, thanks to its friendly locals. — Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026 The Knicks clinched the championship in Game 5, which fell on a Saturday, and Hargitay’s evening performance kept her from watching live. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Gabby Williams had 23 points and seven rebounds, Veronica Burton added 16 points and five assists, and the Golden State Valkyries clinched a playoff berth by beating the Dallas Wings 78-70 on Monday night for their sixth straight victory. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 The announcement comes a day after the Valkyries clinched a playoff slot for the second year in a row, the first expansion franchise in WNBA history to secure back-to-back postseason berths. — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 With the playoffs now clinched, Golden State can afford to look ahead at positioning itself for a deep postseason run. — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026 Summary The Philadelphia Phillies clinched a dramatic 7-6 extra-innings win against the Toronto Blue Jays, sparked by a controversial managerial call. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The initial, ceasefire phase of that plan was clinched last October. — Dan Williams, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinched
  1. decided
  2. settled
  3. determined
Verb
  • The merch was originally made for OpenAI employees to purchase on an internal site, but the team decided to make a small capsule collection available to the public.
    — T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • At the time, Valli’s rep told Variety in a statement that the musician decided to cancel the shows instead of rescheduling them so that his fans with tickets would not be stuck in limbo.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of decided
Verb
  • Conservative filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza has settled a defamation lawsuit filed by a Gwinnett County man in 2022, avoiding a trial that was set to begin Monday in federal court in Atlanta.
    — Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The sisters shook off their poor first set, settled in, and won the first three games of the second as their timing and shot selection improved enough to take advantage of a slight dip from Stearns and Kostyuk.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of settled
Verb
  • Panettiere’s official cause and manner of death have not been determined, as additional testing results are pending.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • An initial investigation determined the incident stemmed from an ongoing dispute between two students, police said.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of determined

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clinch
clinched
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Cite this Entry

“Clinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinched. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on clinched

Nglish: Translation of clinched for Spanish Speakers

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