as in deciding
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute
the rain clinched the matter: we would have the party indoors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
The Crew, still the best team in baseball, is on the verge of clinching a spot in the playoffs.
—
Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In a battle of the world’s top two players, Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the final in New York, clinching his overall sixth Grand Slam title.
—Manasi Pathak, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
After Thursday’s live eviction episode, the houseguests competed in an HOH comp, with the winner earning power and clinching a spot in jury.
—David Wysong, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2025
Minnesota is one victory away from clinching the top spot despite still having seven games to play.
—Grant Afseth, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
The Love That Remains world premiered in the non-competitive Cannes Premiere section this year, clinching a peripheral prize for its canine cast member, sheepdog Panda, who beat 24 other candidates to win the Palm Dog.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
SpaceX’s Starship rocket on Tuesday deployed its first batch of mock Starlink satellites in space and tested new heat shield tiles on its plunge through Earth’s atmosphere, clinching development milestones that had been held up by a streak of previous testing failures.
—Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025
The Royals took three of four from the Rangers, a 6-4 win Thursday clinching their seventh series victory out of nine since the All-Star break, which is a stretch that covers an AL-best 19-12 record.
—Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2025
In a distant second place, Rory McIlroy is currently listed at +850 to win, projecting a roughly 10 percent chance of the Masters champion clinching this title.
—Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In a battle of the world’s top two players, Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the final in New York, clinching his overall sixth Grand Slam title.
—Manasi Pathak, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
After Thursday’s live eviction episode, the houseguests competed in an HOH comp, with the winner earning power and clinching a spot in jury.
—David Wysong, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2025
Minnesota is one victory away from clinching the top spot despite still having seven games to play.
—Grant Afseth, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
The Love That Remains world premiered in the non-competitive Cannes Premiere section this year, clinching a peripheral prize for its canine cast member, sheepdog Panda, who beat 24 other candidates to win the Palm Dog.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
SpaceX’s Starship rocket on Tuesday deployed its first batch of mock Starlink satellites in space and tested new heat shield tiles on its plunge through Earth’s atmosphere, clinching development milestones that had been held up by a streak of previous testing failures.
—Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025
The Royals took three of four from the Rangers, a 6-4 win Thursday clinching their seventh series victory out of nine since the All-Star break, which is a stretch that covers an AL-best 19-12 record.
—Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2025
In a distant second place, Rory McIlroy is currently listed at +850 to win, projecting a roughly 10 percent chance of the Masters champion clinching this title.
—Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinching
Verb
-
The two stuck close to each other's sides while posing for the cameras, even deciding to share a smooch to celebrate the exciting night.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said Sunday government officials did not conduct any data projections before deciding to roll back vaccine mandates to assess the impact this move would have on the state’s overall case numbers.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The dating technique used on the eggs, known more formally as carbonate uranium-lead, or U-Pb, dating, is a common process for determining the age of carbonate minerals — those containing calcium, iron, manganese and magnesium.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The next 12 months of emerging data from AI drug development startups will be critical in determining how successful these companies stand to be, Schoenhaus said.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So much for the dawn of a new New England era, with no-nonsense Mike Vrabel as head coach and Josh McDaniels settling in as the new/old offensive coordinator.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Solomon had retired from a career in law enforcement, and was settling into a new routine, making time for exercise and hobbies, such as splitting wood on his farm.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinching. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share