clincher

American

[klin-cher] / ˈklɪn tʃər /

noun

a person or thing that clinches.
a statement, argument, fact, situation, or the like, that is decisive or conclusive.

The heat was the clincher that made us decide to leave the city.
a nail, screw, etc., for clinching.
Automotive. a clincher tire.

clincher British

/ ˈklɪntʃə /

noun

informal something decisive, such as a fact, score, etc
a person or thing that clinches

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clincher

1485–95; variant of Middle English clencher ( clench + -er ¹ )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He spun three perfect innings in the club’s Game 4 clincher on Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2025

The clincher will be when they catch one of the perpetrators and get him to explain why he did it.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2025

The clincher for Emery appears to have been the promise of playing Asensio in the number 10 position.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2025

Then he delivers the clincher line in English while flourishing a finger-heart: “I like . . . you.”

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2025

“Your clincher clue was waddle? That seems to work,” Wilder responded.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023