Clitch vs. Clinch

alternative form of clutch

alternative form of clutch

To clasp; to interlock.

To make certain; to finalize.

Example: ‘I already planned to buy the car, but the color was what really clinched it for me.’;

To fasten securely or permanently.

To bend and hammer the point of (a nail) so it cannot be removed.

To embrace passionately.

To hold firmly; to clench.

To set closely together; to close tightly.

Example: ‘to clinch the teeth or the fist’;

Any of several fastenings.

The act or process of holding fast; that which serves to hold fast; a grip or grasp.

Example: ‘to get a good clinch of an antagonist, or of a weapon’; ‘to secure anything by a clinch’;

(obsolete) A pun.

(nautical) 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.

A passionate embrace.

In combat sports, the act of one or both fighters holding onto the other to prevent being hit or engage in standup grappling.

To hold firmly; to hold fast by grasping or embracing tightly.

To set closely together; to close tightly; as, to clinch the teeth or the first.

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.

To make conclusive; to confirm; to establish; as, to clinch an argument.

To hold fast; to grasp something firmly; to seize or grasp one another.

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.

A pun.

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.

(boxing) the act of one boxer holding onto the other to avoid being hit and to rest momentarily

a small slip noose made with seizing

the flattened part of a nail or bolt or rivet

a tight or amorous embrace;

Example: ‘come here and give me a big hug’;

secure or fasten by flattening the ends of nails or bolts;

Example: ‘The girder was clinched into the wall’;

hold a boxing opponent with one or both arms so as to prevent punches

hold in a tight grasp;

Example: ‘clench a steering wheel’;

embrace amorously

flatten the ends (of nails and rivets);

Example: ‘the nails were clinched’;

settle conclusively;

Example: ‘clinch a deal’;

confirm or settle (a contract or bargain)

Example: ‘the Texan wanted to impress him to clinch a business deal’;

conclusively settle (an argument or debate)

Example: ‘these findings clinched the matter’;

confirm the winning or achievement of (a match, competition, or victory)

Example: ‘Johnson scored the goals which clinched victory’;

grapple at close quarters, especially (of boxers) so as to be too closely engaged for full-arm blows.

(of two people) embrace.

secure (a nail or rivet) by driving the point sideways when it has penetrated.

fasten (a rope or angling line) with a clinch knot.

a struggle or scuffle at close quarters

Example: ‘breaking from a clinch, he crossed with his right’;

an embrace, especially an amorous one

Example: ‘we went into a passionate clinch on the sofa’;

a knot used to fasten ropes or angling lines, using a half hitch with the end seized back on its own part.