[CompSci87]

CTCard,

I always understood clinching EXACTLY as you have.  And it sort of disappointed me to learn that the word is merely a synonym for winning.  Seems the way we understood the word gave it a special niche.  As well, if clinch doesn't specifically mean to guarantee victory before the contest is over, then what word does succinctly capture that situation, absent a longer explanation?

It seems to me that clinching and winning have separate meanings in just those sports where play continues after someone has clinched. Baseball doesn't cancel the rest of the regular season after someone clinches. Team tennis on the other hand stops any ongoing matches once one team has won enough points to clinch.

Also you can loosely assert a "clinch" prior to the actual win, as when someone hit a dagger to put a basketball game practically out of reach. You might say "that clinches it!" even though it's not absolutely impossible for the losing team still to make a comeback.

[CompSci87]

CTCard,

I always understood clinching EXACTLY as you have.  And it sort of disappointed me to learn that the word is merely a synonym for winning.  Seems the way we understood the word gave it a special niche.  As well, if clinch doesn't specifically mean to guarantee victory before the contest is over, then what word does succinctly capture that situation, absent a longer explanation?

It seems to me that clinching and winning have separate meanings in just those sports where play continues after someone has clinched. Baseball doesn't cancel the rest of the regular season after someone clinches. Team tennis on the other hand stops any ongoing matches once one team has won enough points to clinch.

Also you can loosely assert a "clinch" prior to the actual win, as when someone hit a dagger to put a basketball game practically out of reach. You might say "that clinches it!" even though it's not absolutely impossible for the losing team still to make a comeback.