as in aces in the hole
something (as a fact or argument) that is decisive or overwhelming
the fact that the resort had tennis courts was the clincher in our deciding to stay there
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Recent Examples of clinchers
Daytona will always be big, as will championship clinchers.
—
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Manager Rob Thomson punctuated the Phillies' postseason clinchers over the years with a call-and-response in the clubhouse, asking Realmuto how many more wins were needed to win the World Series.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Four games, all of them potential Division Series clinchers … on the same day?
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Manager Rob Thomson punctuated the Phillies' postseason clinchers over the years with a call-and-response in the clubhouse, asking Realmuto how many more wins were needed to win the World Series.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Four games, all of them potential Division Series clinchers … on the same day?
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinchers
Noun
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Princess Eugenie donned one of her over-the-top head toppers as Queen Elizabeth waved on.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Sandwich Upgrades Our testers loved reaching for these condiments and toppers to really up their sandwich game.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But regulation losses … those are the crushers.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
14 Dec. 2025
-
Beijing's stockpiling Chinese processors of raw soybeans, also known as crushers, pig farmers and feed producers have built up inventories that exceed typical levels, while state reserves have added further cushion.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
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There is a high probability that following the team regularly will lead to securing tickets via ballots — but only the top cappers have guarantees.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
But unlike other series cappers, Last Rites didn’t try to be a summation of every demonic threat the duo has ever encountered, instead opting for another familial story by way of 1986’s Smurl haunting in Pennsylvania.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The volatility can be partly attributed to several factors, including weather, labor strikes, lower-than-typical post-holiday layoffs, and recalibrations to how the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates payroll changes at new and closed businesses (referred to as the birth-death model).—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
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But after a few decades, economic and geopolitical factors led the companies to close the factories, sinking local economies and in some cases leaving behind toxic contamination.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Some count ratings or awards as determinants of quality, while count changes to policy and laws or special commissions of inquiry.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 May 2026
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The Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon adopted the Indigenous determinants of health by ordinance last year, and Roth has been working with them as chairman of their executive health board to incorporate the determinants of health across their agencies.—
ANITA HOFSCHNEIDER,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinchers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinchers. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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