cinch

¹ American  

[sinch] / sɪntʃ /

noun

1. a strong girth used on stock saddles, having a ring at each end to which a strap running from the saddle is secured.

2. a firm hold or tight grip.

3. Informal.

   1. something sure or easy.

      This problem is a cinch.

   2. a person or thing certain to fulfill an expectation, especially a team or contestant certain to win a sporting event.

      The Giants are a cinch to win Sunday's game.

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verb (used with object)

1. to gird with a cinch; gird or bind firmly.

2. Informal. to seize on or make sure of; guarantee.

   Ability and hard work cinched her success.

cinch ² American  

[sinch] / sɪntʃ /

noun

Cards.

1. a variety of the game all fours.

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cinch ¹ British  

/ sɪntʃ /

noun

1. slang an easy task

2. slang a certainty

3. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): girth.  a band around a horse's belly to keep the saddle in position

4. informal a firm grip

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verb

1. (often foll by up) to fasten a girth around (a horse)

2. informal (tr) to make sure of

3. informal (tr) to get a firm grip on

cinch ² British  

/ sɪntʃ /

noun

1. a card game in which the five of trumps ranks highest

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Etymology

Origin of cinch¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1855–60; from Spanish cincha, from Latin cingula “girth,” from cing(ere) “to gird” + -ula -ule

Origin of cinch²

First recorded in 1885–90; perhaps from Spanish cinco “five,” also the name of a card game, from Vulgar Latin cinque (unrecorded), from Latin quinque; five ( def. )

Example Sentences

The cinch belts were not my friends: I was short-waisted, and with a cinch belt, looked like two tomatoes, one on top of the other.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

Getting around this city is a cinch since Columbia is known for its efficient public transportation options.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 29, 2025

His lifetime batting average has dipped to .299, and milestones such as 500 home runs and 3,000 hits that once seemed a cinch are now long shots or downright impossible.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2024

After all, Harris is not just a woman running for president, but she’s the first woman of color to cinch the Democratic nomination.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2024

It’s a cinch that you can’t do that kind of work on an empty stomach, so I’ll send your oldest sister down with a lunch bucket.”

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• cakewalk
• piece of cake