What does "cinch" mean?
A simple saddle girth used in Mexico.
Cinch
noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·1 syllable ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A simple saddle girth used in Mexico.
- Grammar: cinch is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: breeze, girth, snap, affix.
- Useful contrasts: difficult task, hard task, jeopardize.
- Usage evidence: For a person who is in good physical condition, climbing mountains is a cinch.
How to use "cinch"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cinch" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cinch" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cinch" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cinch" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A simple saddle girth used in Mexico.
"He found Andy morosely replacing some broken strands in his cinch, and he went straight at the mooted question."
- 2 A variety of auction pitch in which a draw to improve the hand is added, and the five of trumps (called "right Pedro") and the five of the same colour (called "left Pedro", and ranking between the five and the four of trumps) are each worth five. Fifty-one points make a game.
- 3 An RCA connector. Europe
- 4 a form of all fours in which the players bid for the privilege of naming trumps wordnet
- 5 Something that is very easy to do. informal
"We thought we had a cinch on getting out by way of this cord and so we followed that."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 any undertaking that is easy to do wordnet
- 7 Something that is obvious or certain to occur; a sure thing. informal
"As a matter of fact, from the look of Elmer's shoulder, it wasn't a cinch that he would ever pitch again."
- 8 stable gear consisting of a band around a horse's belly that holds the saddle in place wordnet
- 9 A firm hold. informal
"You've got the cinch on him. You could send him to quod, and I'd send him there as quick as lightning. I'd hang him, if I could, for what he done to Lil Sarnia."
Verb
- 1 To bring to certain conclusion.
- 2 In the game of cinch, to protect (a trick) by playing a higher trump than the five.
- 3 get a grip on; get mastery of wordnet
- 4 To tighten down.
"[Ostriches] also lack the tiny hooks, or barbicels, that cinch feathers together in most other birds."
- 5 make sure of wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 tie a cinch around wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"For a person who is in good physical condition, climbing mountains is a cinch."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cinch"?
Common synonyms include: breeze, girth, snap, affix, afford proof of, anchor.
How do you use "cinch" in a sentence?
For a person who is in good physical condition, climbing mountains is a cinch.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Occitan cencha, from Latin cincta, or from Spanish cincha (“a belt or girth”), from Late Latin cingula, from Latin cingulum. Doublet of cingle.
Etymology 2
Compare senses at etymology 1 (a girth, a tight grip), perhaps suggesting the tactics used in the game; or perhaps from Spanish cinco (“five”), the five spots of the colour of the trump being important cards.
Etymology 3
Uncertain; perhaps from Cinch Connectors, a Chicago-based company producing connectors.