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
Professionally, the 28-year-old had followed up clinching the Premier League title with Liverpool by helping Portugal win the Nations League.
—
James Pearce, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Price benchmarking, destination marketing and demand forecasting are all efforts focused on optimizing that initial phase of clinching a transaction.
—Juan Pablo Lafosse, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
So, yes, Canada should feel pretty good about itself for clinching the top spot in Group B and not losing a single game.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
The New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals 130-93 in Game 4 on Monday, clinching their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999.
—CBS News, 26 May 2026
After clinching the second largest comeback in the fourth quarter of a playoffs game since 1997, the Knicks are now three games away from the NBA finals.
—Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The week began with the West Coast Board Riders Wheat Cup Finals, featuring top clubs from across the region battling for West Coast bragging rights for two days, San Clemente clinching that title.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 19 May 2026
Similarly, Adam Lambert has become a household name after clinching second place on season 8 in 2009.
—Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
But Orlando City scored the final four goals of the match to stun Inter Miami, clinching a miraculous 4-3 comeback victory on Saturday night at Nu Stadium.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 May 2026
James Pearce, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Price benchmarking, destination marketing and demand forecasting are all efforts focused on optimizing that initial phase of clinching a transaction.
—Juan Pablo Lafosse, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
So, yes, Canada should feel pretty good about itself for clinching the top spot in Group B and not losing a single game.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
The New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals 130-93 in Game 4 on Monday, clinching their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999.
—CBS News, 26 May 2026
After clinching the second largest comeback in the fourth quarter of a playoffs game since 1997, the Knicks are now three games away from the NBA finals.
—Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The week began with the West Coast Board Riders Wheat Cup Finals, featuring top clubs from across the region battling for West Coast bragging rights for two days, San Clemente clinching that title.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 19 May 2026
Similarly, Adam Lambert has become a household name after clinching second place on season 8 in 2009.
—Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
But Orlando City scored the final four goals of the match to stun Inter Miami, clinching a miraculous 4-3 comeback victory on Saturday night at Nu Stadium.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinching
Verb
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Now, after Oklahoma came back from a six-run deficit, the specter of 20 years with no super regionals will loom them for the deciding game on Monday afternoon.—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
1 June 2026
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So, many homeowners are deciding to stay put and renovate.—
Terri Williams,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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The scientists analyzed their data further, determining that the red dwarf stars may have consumed the equivalent of three to ten Earths in planetary matter in total.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
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Test scores are just one data point that may be used in determining if a child should be held back, alongside classroom grades, teacher recommendations and attendance.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Medeiros scored on a wild pitch by Aiden Robinson (seven innings, three strikeouts), who dealt with early command issues before settling into a groove.—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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So the people settling Adelaide were not the convicts.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinching. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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