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
Minnesota is on the cusp of clinching a top six seed and avoiding the Western Conference's play-in tournament.
—
CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
The Sabres never trailed and were greeted by a standing ovation upon returning home since clinching their first playoff berth in 15 seasons on Saturday.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Entrenched in a tight playoff push in the final leg of the Professional Women’s Hockey League regular season, the Fleet came up just one point shy of clinching a spot in the four-team playoff.
—Jason Cooke, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
The Heat is three losses behind the seventh-place Raptors (43-34), with Toronto already clinching the head-to-head tiebreaker over Miami.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
After beating Purdue last week, clinching the program’s first Final Four berth in 25 years, Lloyd took control of an on-court interview.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 2 Apr. 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.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles is on the verge of clinching a playoff spot.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
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
CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
The Sabres never trailed and were greeted by a standing ovation upon returning home since clinching their first playoff berth in 15 seasons on Saturday.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Entrenched in a tight playoff push in the final leg of the Professional Women’s Hockey League regular season, the Fleet came up just one point shy of clinching a spot in the four-team playoff.
—Jason Cooke, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
The Heat is three losses behind the seventh-place Raptors (43-34), with Toronto already clinching the head-to-head tiebreaker over Miami.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
After beating Purdue last week, clinching the program’s first Final Four berth in 25 years, Lloyd took control of an on-court interview.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 2 Apr. 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.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles is on the verge of clinching a playoff spot.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinching
Verb
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Stars made sacrificial effort plays that could convince most spectators this was a playoff showdown — Jamal Murray diving into the second row to save a loose ball, Aaron Gordon developing a limp then playing through it to guard De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama on game-deciding possessions.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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Daily use and care should also be considered when deciding whether to toss or keep.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In California, gubernatorial primaries place candidates from both parties on the same ballot, with the top two determining the final two candidates.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
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Ripps and Cahen successfully appealed, with the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals overturning the decision last July and determining that a trial was necessary to determine if Ripps’s NFTs actually infringed Yuga’s trademarks.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While this doesn't erase the debt instantly, settling for less than the full balance can stop further collection efforts and, in some cases, prevent legal action.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Shopping for designer shoes on sale doesn’t have to mean scouring the internet for vintage and secondhand styles, or settling for designs that are no longer in season.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinching. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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