nail down
phrasal verb
nailed down; nailing down; nails down
1
: to make (something, such as a victory) certain to happen
They need to score another touchdown to nail down the victory.
2
: to find out or identify (something) exactly
Her doctors haven't yet been able to nail down a diagnosis.
They're trying to nail down the cause of our network problems.
3
: to make (something) definite or final
nail down a decision
Examples of nail down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Royals reliever James McArthur nailed down his fourth save as KC improved to 12-6.
—
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
But correlation is not the same as cause and effect, and scientists have not nailed down the exact relationship between periodontitis, which affects more than 11 percent of the global population, and various systemic diseases.
—Lola Butcher, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
As for other big decisions, the guest list is yet to be nailed down.
—Gillian Telling, Peoplemag, 18 Jan. 2024
More research is needed to nail down exactly how this chemical reaction between the bacteria and IgA plays out in humans.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 27 Mar. 2024
If the agreement is approved, over the next nine months staff and the developer will nail down a more detailed development agreement that will lay out the city and Culdesac’s obligations to build out Site 17.
—Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2024
Voids could even help to nail down the nature of —elementary particles, once thought to be massless, that pervade the universe while barely interacting with ordinary matter.
—Michael D. Lemonick, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024
This means finding ways to stand out from the competition, nailing down a distinct point of view and committing to learning and growing as a leader and as a business.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024
Critics argued the anecdotes weren't fully nailed down.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
But correlation is not the same as cause and effect, and scientists have not nailed down the exact relationship between periodontitis, which affects more than 11 percent of the global population, and various systemic diseases.
—Lola Butcher, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
As for other big decisions, the guest list is yet to be nailed down.
—Gillian Telling, Peoplemag, 18 Jan. 2024
More research is needed to nail down exactly how this chemical reaction between the bacteria and IgA plays out in humans.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 27 Mar. 2024
If the agreement is approved, over the next nine months staff and the developer will nail down a more detailed development agreement that will lay out the city and Culdesac’s obligations to build out Site 17.
—Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2024
Voids could even help to nail down the nature of —elementary particles, once thought to be massless, that pervade the universe while barely interacting with ordinary matter.
—Michael D. Lemonick, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024
This means finding ways to stand out from the competition, nailing down a distinct point of view and committing to learning and growing as a leader and as a business.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024
Critics argued the anecdotes weren't fully nailed down.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nail down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near nail down
Cite this Entry
“Nail down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail%20down. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share