To hold firmly; to hold fast by grasping or embracing tightly. Dryden. [1913 Webster]
To set closely together; to close tightly; as, to clinch the teeth or the first. Swift. [1913 Webster]
To bend or turn over the point of (something that has been driven through an object), so that it will hold fast; as, to clinch a nail. [1913 Webster]
To make conclusive; to confirm; to establish; as, to clinch an argument. South. [1913 Webster]

Clinch, v. i.

To hold fast; to grasp something firmly; to seize or grasp one another. [1913 Webster]

Clinch, n.

The act or process of holding fast; that which serves to hold fast; a grip; a grasp; a clamp; a holdfast; as, to get a good clinch of an antagonist, or of a weapon; to secure anything by a clinch. [1913 Webster]
A pun. Pope. [1913 Webster]
A hitch or bend by which a rope is made fast to the ring of an anchor, or the breeching of a ship's gun to the ringbolts. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

Clinch, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. confirm or settle (an argument, bargain, etc.) conclusively.
2 intr. Boxing & Wrestling (of participants) become too closely engaged.
3 intr. colloq. embrace.
4 tr. secure (a nail or rivet) by driving the point sideways when through.
5 tr. Naut. fasten (a rope) with a particular half hitch.
--n.
1 a a clinching action. b a clinched state.
2 colloq. an (esp. amorous) embrace.
3 Boxing & Wrestling an action or state in which participants become too closely engaged.

Etymology

16th-c. var. of CLENCH

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THESAURUS

Clinch

abduct, adhere, adhere to, affix, afford proof of, agglomerate, anchor, ankle, annex, articulation, ascertain, assure, attach, bear hug, belay, bite, boundary, bring home to, bunch, butt, carry off, cement, certify, cervix, cinch, clamp, clasp, clear up, cleave, cleave to, clench, cling, cling to, clinging, clip, close quarters, closure, clot, cluster, clutch, coagulate, cohere, come together, communicate, complete, conclude, confirm, congeal, conglomerate, connect, connecting link, connecting rod, connection, converge, coupling, cramp, cuddle, death grip, decide, demonstrate, determine, dismiss all doubt, dispose of, dovetail, elbow, embrace, enfold, engraft, ensure, establish, fasten, find out, firm hold, fix, follow, follow from, foothold, footing, freeze to, get at, gliding joint, graft, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, grow together, hang on, hang on to, hang together, have a case, hinge, hinged joint, hip, hold, hold fast, hold good, hold on, hold on to, hold tight, hold together, hold water, hug, insure, intercommunicate, interface, iron grip, join, joining, joint, juncture, keep hold of, kidnap, knee, knit, knuckle, link, make certain, make fast, make good, make no doubt, make no mistake, make out, make sure, make sure of, mass, meet, merge, miter, moor, mortise, nail down, neck, never let go, nip, persist, pivot, pivot joint, press, prove, prove to be, prove true, purchase, put to, rabbet, reassure, remove all doubt, scarf, screw up, seam, secure, see that, see to it, seizure, set, set at rest, set to, settle, settle the matter, shanghai, shoulder, show, solidify, sort out, squeeze, stay, stay put, stick, stick to, stick together, stitch, suture, symphysis, take hold of, tenure, throttle, tie rod, tight grip, tighten, toehold, toggle, toggle joint, trice up, trim, union, unite, weld, wind up, wrist

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ROGET THESAURUS

Clinch

Neologism

N neology, neologism, newfangled expression, nonce expression, back-formation, caconym, barbarism, archaism, black letter, monkish Latin, corruption, missaying, malapropism, antiphrasis, pun, paranomasia, play upon words, word play, double- entendre, palindrome, paragram, anagram, clinch, abuse of language, abuse of terms, dialect, brogue, idiom, accent, patois, provincialism, regionalism, localism, broken English, lingua franca, Anglicism, Briticism, Gallicism, Scotticism, Hibernicism, Americanism, Gypsy lingo, Romany, pidgin, pidgin English, pigeon English, Volapuk, Chinook, Esperanto, Hindustani, kitchen Kaffir, dog Latin, macaronics, gibberish, confusion of tongues, Babel, babu English, chi-chi, figure of speech, byword, colloquialism, informal speech, informal language, substandard language, vernacular, vulgar language, obscene language, obscenity, vulgarity, jargon, technical terms, technicality, lingo, slang, cant, argot, St. Gile's Greek, thieves' Latin, peddler's French, flash tongue, Billingsgate, Wall Street slang, pseudology, pseudonym, Mr, So-and-so, wha d'ye call 'em, whatchacallim, what's his name, thingummy, thingumbob, je ne sais quoi, neologist, coiner of words, neologic, neological, archaic, obsolete, colloquial, Anglice.

Junction

VB join, unite, conjoin, connect, associate, put together, lay together, clap together, hang together, lump together, hold together, piece together, tack together, fix together, bind up together together, embody, reembody, roll into one, attach, fix, affix, saddle on, fasten, bind, secure, clinch, twist, make fast, tie, pinion, string, strap, sew, lace, tat, stitch, tack, knit, button, buckle, hitch, lash, truss, bandage, braid, splice, swathe, gird, tether, moor, picket, harness, chain, fetter, lock, latch, belay, brace, hook, grapple, leash, couple, accouple, link, yoke, bracket, marry, bridge over, span, braze, pin, nail, bolt, hasp, clasp, clamp, crimp, screw, rivet, impact, solder, set, weld together, fuse together, wedge, rabbet, mortise, miter, jam, dovetail, enchase, graft, ingraft, inosculate, entwine, intwine, interlink, interlace, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, entangle, twine round, belay, tighten, trice up, screw up, be joined, hang together, hold together, cohere.

Completion

VB effect, effectuate, accomplish, achieve, compass, consummate, hammer out, bring to maturity, bring to perfection, perfect, complete, elaborate, do, execute, make, go through, get through, work out, enact, bring about, bring to bear, bring to pass, bring through, bring to a head, despatch, dispatch, knock off, finish off, polish off, make short work of, dispose of, set at rest, perform, discharge, fulfill, realize, put in practice, put in force, carry out, carry into effect, carry into execution, make good, be as good as one's word, do thoroughly, not do by halves, go the whole hog, drive home, be in at the death, carry through, play out, exhaust, fill the bill, finish, bring to a close, wind up, stamp, clinch, seal, set the seal on, put the seal, give the final touch, to, put the last, put the finishing hand to, put the finishing touches on, crown, crown all, cap, ripen, culminate, come to a head, come to a crisis, come to its end, die a natural death, die of old age, run its course, run one's race, touch the goal, reach the goal, attain the goal, reach, get in the harvest.

Retention

VB retain, keep, hold fast one's own, hold tight one's own, hold fast one's ground, hold tight one's ground, clinch, clench, clutch, grasp, gripe, hug, have a firm hold of, secure, withhold, detain, hold back, keep back, keep close, husband, reserve, have in stock, have on hand, keep in stock, entail, tie up, settle.

Taking

VB take, catch, hook, nab, bag, sack, pocket, put into one's pocket, receive, accept, reap, crop, cull, pluck, gather, draw, appropriate, expropriate, impropriate, assume, possess oneself of, take possession of, commandeer, lay one's hands on, clap one's hands on, help oneself to, make free with, dip one's hands into, lay under contribution, intercept, scramble for, deprive of, take away, carry away, bear away, take off, carry off, bear off, adeem, abstract, hurry off with, run away with, abduct, steal, ravish, seize, pounce upon, spring upon, swoop to, swoop down upon, take by storm, take by assault, snatch, reave, snap up, nip up, whip up, catch up, kidnap, crimp, capture, lay violent hands on, get hold of, lay hold of, take hold of, catch hold of, lay fast hold of, take firm hold of, lay by the heels, take prisoner, fasten upon, grip, grapple, embrace, gripe, clasp, grab, clutch, collar, throttle, take by the throat, claw, clinch, clench, make sure of, catch at, jump at, make a grab at, snap at, snatch at, reach, make a long arm, stretch forth one's hand, take from, take away from, disseize, deduct, retrench, dispossess, ease one of, snatch from one's grasp, tear from, tear away from, wrench from, wrest from, wring from, extort, deprive of, bereave, disinherit, cut off with a shilling, oust, divest, levy, distrain, confiscate, sequester, sequestrate, accroach, usurp, despoil, strip, fleece, shear, displume, impoverish, eat out of house and home, drain, drain to the dregs, gut, dry, exhaust, swallow up, absorb, draw off, suck the blood of, suck like a leech, retake, resume, recover.

Closure

VB close, occlude, plug, block up, stop up, fill up, bung up, cork up, button up, stuff up, shut up, dam up, blockade, obstruct, bar, bolt, stop, seal, plumb, choke, throttle, ram down, dam, cram, trap, clinch, put to the door, shut the door.

Certainty

VB be certain, stand to reason, render certain, insure, ensure, assure, clinch, make sure, determine, decide, set at rest, make assurance double sure, know, dogmatize, lay down the law.