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 Knicks lost that game to the San Antonio Spurs — their only loss in the series — but won the following two, clinching the Larry O'Brien Trophy in San Antonio over the weekend.
—
Kristin Brown, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Other starry Knicks diehards include Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, and Spike Lee, who were all present to see Brunson lead his team to victory 94-90 over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, clinching the NBA Finals title for the first time in 53 years.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 14 June 2026
That team made it to the first-round of the playoffs after seven consecutive seasons without clinching a postseason berth.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 13 June 2026
Senate Democrats want their party to offer the Ken Paxton treatment to Graham Platner after clinching Maine’s Democratic nomination for Senate.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 10 June 2026
Hilton, however, appears on the cusp of clinching the second spot on the ballot.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Shiffrin finished the 2026 season in March by clinching her sixth Crystal Globe, given to the world’s best all-around alpine skier.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 9 June 2026
Georgia swept its super regional series against Mississippi State, clinching a CWS berth Sunday.
—Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 8 June 2026
The game brought in 65,021 fans, and the contest ended in the first Orange Bowl shutout since 1992, with Oregon clinching a 23-0 win.
—Ava Dicecca, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026
Kristin Brown, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Other starry Knicks diehards include Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, and Spike Lee, who were all present to see Brunson lead his team to victory 94-90 over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, clinching the NBA Finals title for the first time in 53 years.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 14 June 2026
That team made it to the first-round of the playoffs after seven consecutive seasons without clinching a postseason berth.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 13 June 2026
Senate Democrats want their party to offer the Ken Paxton treatment to Graham Platner after clinching Maine’s Democratic nomination for Senate.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 10 June 2026
Hilton, however, appears on the cusp of clinching the second spot on the ballot.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Shiffrin finished the 2026 season in March by clinching her sixth Crystal Globe, given to the world’s best all-around alpine skier.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 9 June 2026
Georgia swept its super regional series against Mississippi State, clinching a CWS berth Sunday.
—Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 8 June 2026
The game brought in 65,021 fans, and the contest ended in the first Orange Bowl shutout since 1992, with Oregon clinching a 23-0 win.
—Ava Dicecca, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinching
Verb
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The administration quickly faced several lawsuits, and the Supreme Court is deciding one of those cases right now.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
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Congress’s most important job is deciding how federal money is spent.—
Jarrell Dillard,
Washington Post,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The November matchup between Collins and Ossoff is expected to be one of the most competitive Senate contests in the country and could play a major role in determining the balance of power in Washington.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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The California Highway Patrol has not confirmed if the heat played a role in their death, and is waiting for an autopsy by the Shasta County Coroner before determining their cause of death.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Verb
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After settling along India’s west coast, many Parsis built their lives as merchants in bustling ports.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
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That challenges our previous assumption that plague spillover was a side effect of people taking up farming and settling in permanent villages and towns, living closer to each other and to an assortment of animals (and their fleas).—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinching. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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