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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Mattresses, Box Springs, and Mattress Toppers Much like most secondhand stores don't accept adult-sized mattresses, many don't accept kids' sleep items like crib mattresses, junior bed mattresses, mattress toppers, box springs, sleep and positioning aids, and co-sleepers.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
13 June 2026
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Ferrari, on the other hand, will look to close the gap with table-toppers, Mercedes.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
13 June 2026
Noun
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In 2023 and 2024, investors from China, Canada and Ethiopia arrived at artisanal mining sites with rock crushers, excavators and flasks filled with mercury, according to dozens of interviews with local miners, government officials and industry insiders.—
Claire Wilmot & Gisa Tunbridge,
The Dial,
12 June 2026
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But regulation losses … those are the crushers.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
14 Dec. 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
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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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Prices are subject to rapid, unpredictable changes due to factors like, but not limited to, supply/demand, weather, and geopolitical events.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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Engineering readiness factors have caused much of this delay.—
Margaret Landis,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Noun
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In my own research on Ebola, SARS and MERS, my colleagues and I have shown that the speed at which infected people are identified and removed from the community is one of the strongest determinants of outbreak size.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Clinchers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinchers. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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