Clinchers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A decisive factor or element that secures a conclusion or outcome in an argument or competition
2. A piece of evidence or reasoning that finalizes a debate, making the case overwhelmingly persuasive
3. An argument or detail that effectively seals a deal or cements a position, leaving no room for doubt

Etymology: The word "clincher" is a straightforward formation: the verb "clinch" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning something that clinches. Clinch itself is a sturdy old word, and its sense of fastening something beyond doubt comes from a physical act. To clinch a nail or rivet is to bend over the protruding point so it cannot pull back out, and the figurative sense of settling a matter follows that same idea of making something fast and final. The suffix did most of the travelling. The "-er" ending descends from a Latin suffix, "-arius," which Old French turned into "-ier" and which passed into Middle English as "-er." English then attached it freely to verbs, so "clincher" arrived as a native-sounding tool-and-agent noun, the way "banger" or "stopper" would. The plural "clinchers" is simply the regular plural of this noun.

Synonyms: deciders, conclusives, determiners, resolvers, finalizers