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
Ghana had already clinched a spot in the knockout stage for the first time since 2010.
—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
Senegal hasn't quite clinched a spot in the knockout round just yet.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
27 June 2026
The Ghanans’ opponent is Colombia, which clinched first place in Group K with a 0-0 draw against Portugal.
—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
Messi, the leader in this tournament with six goals, was among nine Argentina starters changed from the previous game since Group J was already clinched before the match.
—
ABC News,
27 June 2026
In Los Angeles recently, Nithya Raman clinched a spot in the November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2026
Rolling off its eyecatching portfolio of premium, high-end kids titles, Banijay Kids & Family has clinched a raft of package deals in Latin America, announced strategically in the run-up to this year’s Annecy MIFA market.
—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
21 June 2026
The host nation on Friday night clinched a win in Group D thanks to their 2-0 win over Australia on Friday afternoon in Seattle, paired with the result of Paraguay-Turkey nightcap at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
And this month, Nithya Raman clinched a spot in the November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
—
Matt Brown,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
Senegal hasn't quite clinched a spot in the knockout round just yet.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
27 June 2026
The Ghanans’ opponent is Colombia, which clinched first place in Group K with a 0-0 draw against Portugal.
—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
Messi, the leader in this tournament with six goals, was among nine Argentina starters changed from the previous game since Group J was already clinched before the match.
—
ABC News,
27 June 2026
In Los Angeles recently, Nithya Raman clinched a spot in the November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2026
Rolling off its eyecatching portfolio of premium, high-end kids titles, Banijay Kids & Family has clinched a raft of package deals in Latin America, announced strategically in the run-up to this year’s Annecy MIFA market.
—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
21 June 2026
The host nation on Friday night clinched a win in Group D thanks to their 2-0 win over Australia on Friday afternoon in Seattle, paired with the result of Paraguay-Turkey nightcap at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
And this month, Nithya Raman clinched a spot in the November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
—
Matt Brown,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinched
Verb
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With his children now grown, Love and his wife decided to sell the home, according to the real estate agency.
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The middle school team was seeking a coach, and Cassie decided to ask their mom to fill the role.
Verb
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The Chatrie case involves the hunt for a suspect in an armed bank robbery in busy Midlothian, Virginia, in May 2019, and how police settled on a man named Okello Chatrie as the perpetrator.
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The Warriors Golden State has been prioritizing James and would give him an opportunity to play with his friends, Steph Curry and Draymond Green, and remain close to his family, which is settled in Southern California.
Verb
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Days before the five-year anniversary of the 2021 building collapse that killed 98 people in Surfside, the federal government has published findings that determined the structure of the Champlain Towers South condominium started failing about three weeks before the catastrophe.
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Sheriff's officials said a detailed investigation determined three employees used the system for non-law enforcement purposes, violating both agency policy and Georgia law.
Cite this Entry
“Clinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinched. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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