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 league expects to wrap up the raise in 90 days, clinching a first close by the end of March and a second close at the end of April.
—
Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 18 Feb. 2026
The United States finished second in one of three quarterfinal races in the short track speed skating mixed team relay, clinching a semifinal spot.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
But Wilson attempted a slant pass to Ricardo Lockett, and Patriots rookie Malcom Butler jumped in front of it for the pick, clinching the game for New England.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Both parties have similar doubts about clinching any bipartisan accord on immigration enforcement.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 5 Feb. 2026
After clinching a trip to the 2023 quarterfinals over rival Team Dominican Republic, Díaz, the New York Mets’ closer at the time, tore his right patellar tendon.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
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
Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 18 Feb. 2026
The United States finished second in one of three quarterfinal races in the short track speed skating mixed team relay, clinching a semifinal spot.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
But Wilson attempted a slant pass to Ricardo Lockett, and Patriots rookie Malcom Butler jumped in front of it for the pick, clinching the game for New England.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Both parties have similar doubts about clinching any bipartisan accord on immigration enforcement.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 5 Feb. 2026
After clinching a trip to the 2023 quarterfinals over rival Team Dominican Republic, Díaz, the New York Mets’ closer at the time, tore his right patellar tendon.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinching
Verb
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Denver’s return from the bye week in Washington was anything but pretty defensively until Nik Bonitto made one of the plays of the season, batting down a deciding two-point conversion attempt in overtime and sealing the Broncos’ eighth straight win.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
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Of course, not all airports serve the same destinations, and differences in travel time and parking fees should be considered when deciding which airport to depart from.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Investigators are still determining why the substation was targeted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
-
InsureandGo set out to put some debate to rest by determining the world’s most authentic destinations for discerning travelers.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Across neighborhoods in San Francisco, Larkspur, the Tahoe basin and beyond, the loss is settling in — at dinner tables, in school drop-offs and along a mountainside waiting for the weather to shift.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
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Robert Zubrin, who has thought more about settling Mars than perhaps anyone alive today, thinks that Martian children would have to work a lot more than most kids do on Earth these days.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinching. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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