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
In addition to clinching homecourt advantage, the win also made the Spurs the first team since the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics to notch 55 victories the year after having less than 35 wins the season before.
—
Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Mar. 2026
Before their very eyes, Lamarck transformed the person into an amateur botanist, clinching the metamorphosis with a successful plant identification.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
The Sabres still earned a point to tie Carolina atop the Eastern Conference and move within 10 points of clinching their first playoff berth in 15 years.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
The victory came on the heels of the team clinching a playoff spot with an 8-6 road win against the San Diego Sockers on March 15.
—Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Playing for the first time since clinching a Western Conference playoff spot, the Stars lost to an East also-ran and fell seven points behind NHL-leading Colorado, their Central Division rival.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Despite the absence of those three forwards, Dallas is on the verge of clinching a playoff spot, needing just one point from Sunday’s game against Vegas to become the NHL’s second team to do so.
—José Sánchez Córdova, Dallas Morning News, 22 Mar. 2026
The team went 18-13 (10-5 ASUN) through the regular season, clinching its third winning season in four years.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Mar. 2026
Climate change increases the likelihood, duration, and severity of heat waves, and likely played a role in clinching the title for the West’s hottest winter.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Mar. 2026
Before their very eyes, Lamarck transformed the person into an amateur botanist, clinching the metamorphosis with a successful plant identification.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
The Sabres still earned a point to tie Carolina atop the Eastern Conference and move within 10 points of clinching their first playoff berth in 15 years.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
The victory came on the heels of the team clinching a playoff spot with an 8-6 road win against the San Diego Sockers on March 15.
—Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Playing for the first time since clinching a Western Conference playoff spot, the Stars lost to an East also-ran and fell seven points behind NHL-leading Colorado, their Central Division rival.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Despite the absence of those three forwards, Dallas is on the verge of clinching a playoff spot, needing just one point from Sunday’s game against Vegas to become the NHL’s second team to do so.
—José Sánchez Córdova, Dallas Morning News, 22 Mar. 2026
The team went 18-13 (10-5 ASUN) through the regular season, clinching its third winning season in four years.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Mar. 2026
Climate change increases the likelihood, duration, and severity of heat waves, and likely played a role in clinching the title for the West’s hottest winter.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinching
Verb
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Global firms consider enforcement regimes when deciding where to locate research, production, and scaling operations.—
Laura Peter,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Even experienced players can misread a pitch by inches, which makes deciding whether to challenge even more difficult.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The police chief said the department hired an outside firm to investigate the entire ordeal, which includes determining why the patrol was left unlocked.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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The numbers, often delayed because of the process of determining overdose deaths, were released this month based on information available March 1 by the federal National Vital Statistics System.—
Kaitlin Coward,
Boston Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But ultimately investors remained on edge, with oil prices settling Friday at their highest level in more than three years.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
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The February Market Trends Housing Report from the Colorado Association of Realtors shows the mountain homes market settling after years of rapid growth, with buyers gaining more choices and sellers learning that patience and smart pricing matter.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinching. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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