clincher
nounEtymology From clinch + -er.
1
That which clinches; that which makes something final or firm; a decisive factor.
- The clincher was that we couldn't wait any longer to leave, or it would get dark.
- Newcastle's Dan Gosling was sent off for a foul on Russell Martin but Ba fired in to cut the deficit, before Holt nodded in the clincher.2011 December 10, Arindam Rej, “Norwich 4 - 2 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport:
2 more examples
- Even after what turned out to be the clincher, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Jorginho went close to forcing a penalty shootout.2022 April 12, Neil Johnston, “Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport:
- Transport Scotland acknowledges that the permanence of the new fares regime could be the clincher in persuading people to "travel more often and make long-term choices with certainty, helping people to leave the car at home".2025 September 17, Conrad Landin, “Decarbonising Scottish transport”, in RAIL, number 1044, page 39:
- Derived terms
- clincher-built, clincher-work