Word Confusion: Clench versus Clinch

Plural for the noun: clenches
Gerund: clenching

Third person present verb: clenches
Past tense or past participle: clenched
Present participle: clenching

Alternate spelling: clinch*

Plural for the noun: clinches
Gerund: clinching

Third person present verb: clinches
Past tense or past participle: clinched
Present participle: clinching

Alternate spelling: clench*

• A tight hold
• Grip

The act of clenching

Something that clenches or holds fast

[Boxing] An act or instance of one or both boxers holding the other about the arms or body in order to prevent or hinder the opponent’s punches

A clenched nail or fastening

The bent part of a clenched nail, screw, etc.

Verb:
[With reference to the fingers or hand] Close into a tight ball, especially when feeling extreme anger

• [With reference to the teeth] Press or be pressed tightly together, especially with anger or determination or so as to suppress a strong emotion

Verb, intransitive:
[With reference to the fingers or hand] Close into a tight ball, especially when feeling extreme anger

• [Of a muscular part of the body] Tighten or contract sharply, especially with strong emotion

To close or knot up tightly

Verb, transitive:
Grasp (something) tightly, especially with the hands or between the teeth

• Grip
• A device that grasps or grips

• An embrace, especially an amorous one

The act of clinching

A clinched nail or fastening

The bent part of a clinched nail, screw, etc.

A knot or bend in which a bight or eye is made by making a loop or turn in the rope and seizing the end to the standing part

• A knot used to fasten a rope to a ring or cringle, using a half hitch with the end seized back on its own part

[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

[Archaic] A pun

Verb, intransitive:
[Boxing] Grapple at close quarters, especially (of boxers) so as to be too closely engaged for full-arm blows

• [Slang; of two people] Embrace, especially passionately

[Of a clinched nail, screw, etc.] To hold fast

• Be secure

Verb, transitive:
Confirm or settle (a contract or bargain)

• To settle (a matter) decisively
• [Sports] Confirm the winning or achievement of (a game, competition, or victory)

Secure (a nail, screw, rivet, etc.) by driving the point sideways when it has penetrated and beating down the protruding point

[Nautical; Angling] Fasten (a rope or fishing line) with a clinch knot

The creases in her face deepened as his frown turned into a clench.

It had not helped, even with the burning clench of his muscles or the adrenaline coursing through his body.

I looked away from Matt as I felt a clench in my chest.

Copper clench nails are driven through the wood planking of boats, then bent over to hold.

The handles on steamer trunks are typically attached with clenched nails.

Good clenches include clamps, pliers, and wrenches.

Ideally, the clench position of the nail should protrude about ¼” from the wood.

Verb, intransitive:
John’s right hand clenched into a fist.

Her teeth clenched in anger.

Mark felt his stomach clench in alarm.

His hands clenched as he faced his enemy.

A small, black satchel lay over his left shoulder, and a 4-foot long wooden staff was clenched firmly in his right paw.

“The nails that passed through the door or shutter were clenched or doubled over flush with the wood on the back of the stile” (Garvin).

Verb, transitive:
She clenched her fists, struggling for control.

He clenched the steering wheel so hard that the car wobbled.

Enough of the point of the nail protruding from the wood is needed to clench it over the wood.

Most referees allow boxers to fight their way out of a clinch but may intervene if the duration of the clinch becomes too long.

We went into a passionate clinch on the sofa.

In recent years, the improved clinch knot has become preferred by anglers over the clinch knot.

Shoe tacks are a type of clinch formerly used for handmade shoes.

Ideally, the clinch position of the nail should protrude about ¼” from the wood.

A clinch was used to control the recoil of guns in action (Masefield).

Not strictly a knot, the clinch has several other names, including throat seizing, pigtail, and seized round turn (Blandford).

“Here one poor word a hundred clinches makes.” – Alexander Pope.

Verb, intransitive:
The boxers clinched and were separated by the referee.

His wife and her husband were found clinching.

The point of the nail is also sometimes clinched after driving to prevent pulling out.

Clinch and get an anchor all clear to lay out astern (
De Reynold-Chauvancy).

“The cocktail circuit is a constant and more contracts are clinched over pâté than over paper.” – Ann L. Trebbe.

Verb, transitive:
The company’s survival depended on clinching this business deal.

These findings clinched the matter.

After they clinched the deal, they went out to celebrate.

His team clinched the title.

He drove the nails through the board and clinched the points flat with a hammer.

Clinch the fishing line to the fishing lure.

Clinch the cable on.

By the 19th century, clench became preferred as the term when referring to the fingers or hand.

By the late 16th century, in the senses of something that grips and fix securely, as a variant of clench with clinch the more usual term.