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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Recent Examples of clinched
He was also found to have clinched his second term as president through a ballot-rigging scheme.
—
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Colorado, which has clinched the Presidents’ Trophy as the top team in the NHL, will conclude its regular season Thursday night at home against the Seattle Kraken.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
Pittsburgh last week clinched a postseason berth and home-ice advantage in the opening round.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
The Avalanche, who won the Stanley Cup title in 2022, clinched the top seed in the Western Conference on Thursday night with 115 points.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
The championship was clinched on the penultimate matchday, with a last-minute winner against… Galatasaray.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The Hornets hold a one-game advantage over 10th-place Miami, but the Heat has the tiebreaker, so Charlotte must win in New York on Sunday or hope Miami loses to the Atlanta Hawks, who clinched a spot in the conference’s top six seeds.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2026
With their win, the Hawks (46-35) officially clinched a spot in the top six, as well as the Southeast Division title.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 11 Apr. 2026
High-profile deals Amkor has clinched several high-profile deals to provide its services to semiconductor makers and others companies.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2026
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Colorado, which has clinched the Presidents’ Trophy as the top team in the NHL, will conclude its regular season Thursday night at home against the Seattle Kraken.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
Pittsburgh last week clinched a postseason berth and home-ice advantage in the opening round.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
The Avalanche, who won the Stanley Cup title in 2022, clinched the top seed in the Western Conference on Thursday night with 115 points.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
The championship was clinched on the penultimate matchday, with a last-minute winner against… Galatasaray.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The Hornets hold a one-game advantage over 10th-place Miami, but the Heat has the tiebreaker, so Charlotte must win in New York on Sunday or hope Miami loses to the Atlanta Hawks, who clinched a spot in the conference’s top six seeds.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2026
With their win, the Hawks (46-35) officially clinched a spot in the top six, as well as the Southeast Division title.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 11 Apr. 2026
High-profile deals Amkor has clinched several high-profile deals to provide its services to semiconductor makers and others companies.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinched
Verb
-
Mother Nature decided to rain on the parade, but even before that, there was a dark cloud hanging over the annual celebration.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The council ultimately decided to pursue setting up a committee to look into new skate boarding options generally, and not just at Glen Park.—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
All the grit and sugar had settled at the bottom.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
At 14 weeks pregnant and with a gender reveal party on the horizon, her family said things had settled into place.—
Caroline Silva,
AJC.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Her law license was suspended, but even then she was determined not to give up her caseload.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
That September, investigators determined the incidents may be related and began interviewing residents in the area in November.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinched. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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