as in decides
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 clinches
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
San Fran clinches playoff ticket with win or a loss by Lions.
—Greg Cote
december 18, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
Denver clinches the division title with a win and a Chargers’ loss or a tie and a Chargers loss.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025
Virginia clinches a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a win, but its chances at a CFP berth would disappear with a loss.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
The winner of this game clinches a share of the league championship.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
The win clinches the team’s berth in the World Series, but its opponent has not been decided.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2025
Dow clinches record high The Dow on Friday clinched its first closing record high of the year.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
Here, glycerin clinches the starring role, preventing moisture evaporation; it’s joined by supporting actor hyaluronic acid, whose specialty is all things fine lines (and their prompt erasure).
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinches
Verb
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And while Elliott would like to see Nielsen as the next CEO, if the board decides on someone else who is equally qualified, Elliott will support that decision.—
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Georgia grows tired of her husband and their nightly trips to the fancy French restaurant and decides to have an affair with another man at another table (Alan Howard).—
Verb
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The number determines the length and width of the rubber band, and numbers range between 8 (7/8-by-1/16 inch) and 117b (7 inches by 1/8 inch).—
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The planet's tilt determines how much sunlight the poles receive.—
Verb
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Oneohtrix Point Never’s atmospheric synthesizers pause as the weight of the moment settles on the Weeknd.—
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When winter settles in and the days grow shorter, there’s something especially comforting about slowing down and staying close to home.—
Noun
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The Lincoln Project reported this week that 18 House races have recently shifted in the Democrats' favor, and the Senate is thought to be up for grabs as well.—
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The upgrade allows the tournament to attract better players to compete due to an increase in prize money and rankings points up for grabs.—
Cite this Entry
“Clinches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinches. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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