nail down

phrasal verb

nailed down; nailing down; nails down

: to make (something, such as a victory) certain to happen

They need to score another touchdown to nail down the victory.

: 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.

: to make (something) definite or final

nail down a decision

Examples of nail down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In choosing Walz as her running mate, Kamala Harris chose a partner with fewer political targets on his back than two others who might help nail down vital electoral votes in the swing states of Arizona and Pennsylvania. —

Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2024 The relationship between commerce and conflict is too complicated for anyone, anywhere, to nail down completely. —

Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024 Gophers women’s basketball has nailed down four nonconference opponents for the 2024-25 season, announcing Thursday the team will play in two holiday tournaments in November. —

Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 1 Aug. 2024 Loading your audio article Over the last dozen years, Democrats have gained, lost and finally nailed down supermajorities in the California Legislature. —

Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 13 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for nail down

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.