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 Amanda Loman / Getty Images Minnesota (28-7), which has already clinched a playoff berth, has won 13 of its last 14 games. — CBS News, 13 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 Last year’s winner, Gaypalani Wanambi, clinched the award with her artwork Burwu, blossom, which paid homage to the Marrakulu clan from which she is descended. — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Aug. 2026 Other notable winners include Meghan Markle, who clinched the honor in 2018, and Princess Diana’s twin nieces, Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Eliza Spencer, who tied in 2021. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 31 July 2026 Affleck and Ding clinched the win on a challenging Thanksgiving trivia question. — Mason Leib, ABC News, 30 July 2026 Rogers, which operates pay-TV network Sportsnet, last year clinched an $11 billion rights deal with the NHL through the 2037-38 season. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 July 2026 Since the 37-year-old state senator clinched the nomination, right-wing politicians and media figures have been running a bizarre smear campaign attacking Talarico for not being manly enough. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 28 July 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  • The merch was originally made for OpenAI employees to purchase on an internal site, but the team decided to make a small capsule collection available to the public.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
  • The plan’s success, or lack thereof, can’t be determined until the end of the season, but Sutton on Friday certainly looked like a player who benefited from a couple of days of light work.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Altus Power, the owner of the solar panels, said that the cause of the fire had not been determined.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of determined

Browse Nearby Words

clinch
clinched
clincher
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Cite this Entry

“Clinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinched. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of clinched for Spanish Speakers

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