cinched

verb

past tense of cinch
as in ensured
to make sure, certain, or safe the team's latest victory cinches a trip to the play-offs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cinched Embracing a minimalist aesthetic, Brinkley arrived in a $2,000 cotton-and-silk shirt dress cinched at the waist with a tonal belt that hung down past her knees. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 25 July 2026 The waist, for example, was cinched particularly tightly and emphasized in the 1940s and ’50s. — Kelly Niesen, Glamour, 24 July 2026 Argentina cinched a dramatic comeback in a tense match against England, securing the team’s spot in the final against Spain. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026 The singer and actress arrived in a sculptural ivory jacket embroidered with crystals and cinched with an oversized black bow, paired with a fully beaded fringe skirt from the spring 2025 couture collection. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 8 July 2026 At Dolce & Gabbana, models wore clusters of jeweled cameos and crystals cinched at the waist. — Scarlett Conlon, CNN Money, 24 June 2026 Malia Obama wore an oversized light gray blazer, cinched at the waist, over a dark gray miniskirt. — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 18 June 2026 The dress' bubble hem cut away at the front into a minidress revealing her pointed black pumps, and the actress also cinched in her waist with a black leather belt. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026 The Associated Press said Tuesday that Becerra and Republican contender Steve Hilton had cinched enough votes in last week’s primary to proceed to the November general election. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cinched
  1. ensured
  2. assured
  3. guaranteed
  4. secured
Verb
  • Nick Aldis At WWE SummerSlam, Gunther ensured that Nick Aldis’ return to the ring was cut short.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The city has since ensured the system is not connected to any public-facing internet networks and is meeting with its technology provider about remediation.
    — Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of ensured
Verb
  • Max Greenfield is sharing an update on the New Girl reunion, and fans can rest assured about the development.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 31 July 2026
  • Through a transparent and accountable supply chain, brands can strengthen consumer trust, assured that their cotton is sourced from a program committed to continuous environmental stewardship and verifiable accountability.
    — SJ Studio, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
Definition of assured
Verb
  • An agreement was struck at £4m guaranteed plus £4m in potential bonuses based on first-team progress, with Spurs retaining a sell-on clause.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Many of the commentators dropped by ESPN had guaranteed money left on their contracts.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
Definition of guaranteed
Verb
  • Reigns secured the victory with three consecutive spears, marking his first singles win over Rollins without any interference.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • This time, Velázquez aced the exam – scoring 94 out of 120 in what should have secured him a spot on the Communication and Journalism degree program offered at UNAM’s Aragón School of Higher Studies.
    — Mauricio Torres, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of secured

Browse Nearby Words

cinch
cinched
cinches
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cinched. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cinched

Nglish: Translation of cinched for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of élan

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All