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
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
The victory clinches the Central Division title and secures the top seed in the Western Conference during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles clinches the Pacific Division title and playoff berth with a win over the Washington Wizards on Monday, and if the Phoenix Suns fall to the Memphis Grizzlies.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Bode Miller clinches the men’s overall World Cup ski title.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
With the win, Japan clinches the top seed out of their home pool.
—Maria Torres, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
But Gophers coach Bob Motzko noted his team doesn’t want to be on the ice when any opponent clinches a conference crown.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
But what really clinches him as a great choice to round out the trio is his genuine enthusiasm and on-camera attitude.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
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).
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
Heat clinches winning record In moving to 42-39, Miami won for only the fourth time in its past 14 games and assured itself of a winning record for the 19th time in 26 seasons this century.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
The victory clinches the Central Division title and secures the top seed in the Western Conference during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles clinches the Pacific Division title and playoff berth with a win over the Washington Wizards on Monday, and if the Phoenix Suns fall to the Memphis Grizzlies.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Bode Miller clinches the men’s overall World Cup ski title.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
With the win, Japan clinches the top seed out of their home pool.
—Maria Torres, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
But Gophers coach Bob Motzko noted his team doesn’t want to be on the ice when any opponent clinches a conference crown.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
But what really clinches him as a great choice to round out the trio is his genuine enthusiasm and on-camera attitude.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
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).
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinches
Verb
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The Zion Phelps story is going to be told over and over at Loyola High to show students what can happen when someone discovers potential and decides to take a chance to bring it out.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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The board decides annually if the rent should go up, and by how much.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Verb
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After word gets out that Frank Capra plans to see a matinee performance, a series of comedic twists and turns determines the fate of whether the two thespians achieve their acting ambitions.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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At the end of the fiscal year, the DOC determines its spending across areas like prison upkeep, the cost of settling lawsuits and workers’ claims, then divides that cost among all the people who were incarcerated at the time, Barrett said.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Moon settles into your 4th House of Home, where honesty builds trust quickly.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Once the showers move out on Wednesday evening, drier weather settles in.—
Rachael Jay,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The third starting spot in 11 personnel (three receivers) is up for grabs.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Several prizes, including a weeklong safari in the Masai Mara with Alex Walker’s Serian for the Overall Winner, are up for grabs, the organization said.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinches. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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