as in deciding
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 clinching
The picture is Triet’s first feature since her 2023 Cannes Palme d’Or-winning psychological thriller Anatomy of a Fall, which went on to enjoy a major awards-season run, garnering its star Sandra Hüller a Best Actress Academy Award nomination and clinching an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
—
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
The Knights are on the verge of finishing second in the regular season and clinching a playoff spot before the Mission League tournament begins Thursday.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Danilović calmly served out, clinching it in 2 hours, 17 minutes when a Williams forehand clipped the net and landed just wide of the line on match point.
—John Pye, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
But the Bears' defense held, and forced an incompletion on Love's final pass of the night, clinching a 31-27 win.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Despite a losing 8-9 record, Carolina advanced to the playoffs after clinching the NFC South last week, following the Falcons beating the Saints.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
At the 1999 Academy Awards, the former film took home a whopping seven Oscars, with Paltrow herself clinching the award for Best Actress at the age of 26.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026
A week after clinching the I-70 Series for a fourth consecutive year, the Kansas City Comets are now left with questions to answer after dropping the final two games of the six-game series.
—Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
The Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens 26-24 in the 272nd and final game of the 2025 regular season, clinching a division title for the first time since 2020 and sending the rival Ravens home for the postseason for the first time since 2021.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
The Knights are on the verge of finishing second in the regular season and clinching a playoff spot before the Mission League tournament begins Thursday.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Danilović calmly served out, clinching it in 2 hours, 17 minutes when a Williams forehand clipped the net and landed just wide of the line on match point.
—John Pye, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
But the Bears' defense held, and forced an incompletion on Love's final pass of the night, clinching a 31-27 win.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Despite a losing 8-9 record, Carolina advanced to the playoffs after clinching the NFC South last week, following the Falcons beating the Saints.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
At the 1999 Academy Awards, the former film took home a whopping seven Oscars, with Paltrow herself clinching the award for Best Actress at the age of 26.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026
A week after clinching the I-70 Series for a fourth consecutive year, the Kansas City Comets are now left with questions to answer after dropping the final two games of the six-game series.
—Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
The Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens 26-24 in the 272nd and final game of the 2025 regular season, clinching a division title for the first time since 2020 and sending the rival Ravens home for the postseason for the first time since 2021.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinching
Verb
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First and foremost, there may be big decisions around home, family, or your domestic life — like hosting a big gathering or deciding to move or renovate.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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Simply book your villa and let the concierge team handle the rest, from private flights and yacht charters to in-villa wine tastings and celebration-level planning—leaving you free to focus on the important things, like deciding which drink comes first.—
Molly Barstein,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Across industries, the topic of change management, not technology, determining who wins was widely discussed.—
Mark Minevich,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Speaking at a press conference at DOJ headquarters in Washington, Blanche said that more than 500 DOJ lawyers and other personnel had spent the past 75 days reviewing potential material related to Epstein and determining what needed to be released under the law.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By comparison, a dry arctic cold front moved across Central Texas late in the week, and frigid air is now settling into the region.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the world's highest court for settling disputes related to international athletics, will hear an appeal by American skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender for a spot in the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinching. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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