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

But where its genre predecessors were given 20-plus-episode first seasons to calibrate their characters’ quirks, nail down a consistent comedic tone, and get fans invested in the journey, Adults has no such luxury. —Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 4 June 2025

Our testers nailed down top picks for all those needs and more. —Lisa Desantis, Glamour, 2 June 2025

The Associated Press State and local tax deductions: Speaker Johnson and House Republicans hailing from high-tax blue states held intense talks in recent weeks to nail down a deal on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap that helped the chamber clear the bill before Memorial Day. —Aris Folley, The Hill, 23 May 2025

No matter your bra size, a reliable strapless bra is a tricky wardrobe item to nail down, especially when not all strapless bras are made equal. —Izzy Baskette, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for nail down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown