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To fix or secure (a nail or bolt, for example) by bending down or flattening the pointed end that protrudes.
(verb-transitive)
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To fasten together in this way.
(verb-transitive)
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To settle definitely and conclusively; make final: "The cocktail circuit is a constant and more contracts are clinched over pâté than over paper” ( Ann L. Trebbe).
(verb-transitive)
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Sports To secure (a divisional championship, for instance) before the end of regular season play by having an insurmountable lead.
(verb-transitive)
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Nautical To fasten with a clinch.
(verb-transitive)
American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.