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 Los Angeles Dodgers will have a chance to defend their World Series title in this year’s Fall Classic after a Game 4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, clinching a four-game sweep in the National League Championship Series.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Fourteen Grade 1 races worth a total of more than $34 million will be contested, drawing top-level horses and their owners, trainers, breeders and jockeys who have hopes of clinching year-end division titles.
—Kelley Carlson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Oct. 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers are entering Friday's NLCS Game 4 one win away from clinching a spot in the World Series.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
But Mamdani soared in the polls in the weeks leading up to Election Day, and ended up clinching the Party’s nomination.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
The Braves and Eagles face off next week, with the winner likely clinching a share of first place in the final league standings.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
Club América, hailing from Mexico City, is a two-time Liga MX Femenil champion, clinching the title in Apertura 2018 and Clausura 2023.
—Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Gus, meanwhile, went on to amass 743 points over 1,056 games for five teams, highlighted by an appearance in the 1988 All-Star Game during his first year in Vancouver and an iconic series-clinching overtime goal for the Canucks in the 1994 conference finals.
—Rob Rossi, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Paramount is close to clinching an acquisition of The Free Press that will include a top role at CBS News for the site’s founder, Bari Weiss.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Fourteen Grade 1 races worth a total of more than $34 million will be contested, drawing top-level horses and their owners, trainers, breeders and jockeys who have hopes of clinching year-end division titles.
—Kelley Carlson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Oct. 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers are entering Friday's NLCS Game 4 one win away from clinching a spot in the World Series.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
But Mamdani soared in the polls in the weeks leading up to Election Day, and ended up clinching the Party’s nomination.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
The Braves and Eagles face off next week, with the winner likely clinching a share of first place in the final league standings.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
Club América, hailing from Mexico City, is a two-time Liga MX Femenil champion, clinching the title in Apertura 2018 and Clausura 2023.
—Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Gus, meanwhile, went on to amass 743 points over 1,056 games for five teams, highlighted by an appearance in the 1988 All-Star Game during his first year in Vancouver and an iconic series-clinching overtime goal for the Canucks in the 1994 conference finals.
—Rob Rossi, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Paramount is close to clinching an acquisition of The Free Press that will include a top role at CBS News for the site’s founder, Bari Weiss.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinching
Verb
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Marchenko’s game-deciding shootout goal was the second of his career.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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But few, if any, are likely to have gone on the kind of journey Rachel Mae has been on since deciding to get her dogs tested.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But with the number of kids worldwide skyrocketing, Santa has outsourced the job to the Naughty or Nice Group, a consulting firm that has cornered the market on determining a child's niceness thanks to an airtight formula.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
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But crucial treatments were delayed, and early-season assessments—which, ironically, make the effort more efficient by determining exactly where to treat—had to be reduced.—
Katie Thornton,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And when summer break came later that year, Ahmad and Marshall brought the student fight back to their hometown, setting up a RAM chapter in Philadelphia, where Moore was now settling in.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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The two No 10s largely avoid the sort of slack passes and heavy touches that have previously halted United from properly settling into their attacking grooves.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinching. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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