clinching

verb

present participle of clinch
as in deciding
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute the rain clinched the matter: we would have the party indoors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clinching After clinching a 2-1 victory over Brazil in the round of 16, the Norwegian soccer star celebrated with his girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen, and his family. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026 Spain got its marquee offense from Oyarzabal, the Real Sociedad captain who doubled his goal total at this year's World Cup by opening the scoring in the 36th minute and clinching the victory in the 89th. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 One of her upcoming styles could even be spotted at a New York Knicks finals games prior to the team clinching their historic 2026 NBA championship win. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 June 2026 Josh Hader, Hunter Brown, Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes teamed to secure Sunday’s series-clinching 7-5 win, but that is their expectation. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Simply select your favorite qualifying team to see their most realistic path to clinching the trophy. — Nbc News, NBC news, 28 June 2026 And for good measure, Kevin Warsh’s first press briefing as Fed chairman last week stunned Wall Street with his hawkishness, clinching the case for tightening. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 June 2026 The Hounds were in full control throughout the game with a dominant 35-17 win, not only clinching the championship, but completing the first undefeated season in league history. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 22 June 2026 But the clutch hit eluded the Yankees throughout Sunday’s 4-1 defeat in the Bronx, continuing a weekend-long trend while clinching a series loss to Cincinnati. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinching
  1. deciding
  2. determining
  3. settling
Verb
  • Woodrow Wilson, having suffered a debilitating stroke in 1919, refused to yield the presidency while his wife and physician quietly hid his condition from the country, deciding on his behalf what the nation would be permitted to know.
    — Michael Sonnenfeldt, Fortune, 19 July 2026
  • The family deciding what to put on the table tonight does not, and there is no defensible reason for that.
    — Mike Snider, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Definition of deciding
Verb
  • The incident was recorded on a home security camera, which assisted Deputy State Fire Marshals in determining the cause of the fire.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Chief Estella Patterson told committee members officers have a hard time determining the exact age of juveniles without an ID, which delays the investigation and prolongs police interactions.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026
Definition of determining
Verb
  • As Flex Global expands, users can take advantage of stablecoin payment rails and wallets in more than countries while settling cross-border payments in minutes, the company said.
    — Arthur Zackiewicz, Footwear News, 14 July 2026
  • Rather than opening in central London, the foundation chose to follow the artists, settling in a neighborhood that has become home to an increasingly vibrant creative community.
    — PhotoVogue, Vogue, 13 July 2026
Definition of settling

Browse Nearby Words

clinches
clinching
cling
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Cite this Entry

“Clinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinching. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on clinching

Nglish: Translation of clinching for Spanish Speakers

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