clinches 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of clinch
as in decides
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

clinches

2 of 2

noun

plural of clinch
as in embraces

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 clinches
Verb
Picture A’ja Wilson making the layup that clinches the gold medal for the United States at next month’s FIBA World Cup. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 In a men’s semifinal match, Roger Federer outlasts Juan Martin del Potro in a 19-17 final set and clinches his first Olympic singles medal. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 If its price retreats from these incredible heights by before SpaceX clinches the deal, that number will rise. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 19 June 2026 The venue, home to the NBA's New York Knicks, could also be the site of an impromptu championship celebration if the team clinches the NBA Finals. — Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 13 June 2026 Whether the team clinches the title or not, this piece of merch has cemented its place in the city's style canon for 2026. — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 Or, no, that is Jeremy Strong, because Strong is simply too recognizable to physically disappear into the role of Zuckerberg, but the voice clinches it. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 June 2026 San Jose landing a Professional Women’s Hockey League franchise clinches an upgrade for the Bay Area after a pair of high-profile pro sports departures from the region. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 May 2026 Ngannou exchanged strikes and clinches with Lins before finishing the Brazilian with a sweeping left hand to the head in the final minute of the first round. — ABC News, 16 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinches
  1. decides
  2. grabs
  3. determines
  4. settles
Verb
  • If the prosecution decides to retry the case, a new jury would be selected, and the case would proceed to a new trial with a different jury.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Tate brothers remain in jail in the US while a judge decides on the request for their extradition to Britain, where they are wanted on rape charges.
    — Reuters, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of decides
Noun
  • Everyone in the house gets involved in the election, phone banking and going after the 80 or so votes still up for grabs.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But at the April municipal election, both Fears’ and McCandless’ seats were up for grabs -- and Independence voters chose to remove both from the dais.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of grabs
Verb
  • Rather bizarrely, that means Nvidia is in the hands of the oil market, because the oil market determines inflation and inflation determines Warsh's thinking.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Although vaccination prevents measles, trust determines whether people accept the vaccine.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of determines
Verb
  • Adebo could see some action against three-receiver sets regardless, depending on what Harbaugh settles with at the slot corner spot.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As the fiscal reality of these mandates settles in communities across the state, the scramble of local governments to avoid cutting both core and beloved school programs like Outdoor School will become even more frantic.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of settles

Browse Nearby Words

clinchers
clinches
clinching
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clinches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinches. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All