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clinch

verb · noun

Simple meaning

Hold in a tight grasp.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

klinch
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈklɪntʃ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. Hold in a tight grasp

  2. To hold firmly; to clench

  3. Hold a boxing opponent with one or both arms so as to prevent punches

  4. To hold a boxing opponent with one or both arms so as to avoid being hit while resting momentarily

  5. Secure or fasten by flattening the ends of nails or bolts

    “The girder was clinched into the wall.”

  6. To secure a spot (e.g., at the divisional championship) before the end of regular season play by having an insurmountable lead.

noun

  1. Any of several fastenings.

  2. The act or process of holding fast; that which serves to hold fast.

  3. The act of bending and hammering the point of a nail so it cannot be removed.

  4. A tight or amorous embrace

  5. A passionate embrace.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C2 · Proficient
Frequency
Uncommon
Typical Use
Primarily written

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Hold in a tight grasp

Used this way, clinch is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use clinch

  • “The girder was clinched into the wall.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

clinch riverclinch valleyclinch mountainfort clinchclinch knotgeorge clinchcolonel clinch

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • clincher-builtadjectiveCompound term

    Having overlapping hull planks.

  • double clinchnounCompound term

    A clinch with two loops.

  • inside clinchnounCompound term

    A clinch with the end of the line inside the loop.

  • outside clinchnounCompound term

    A clinch with the end of the line outside the loop.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: any of several fastenings

clench

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.