drill down

verb

drilled down; drilling down; drills down

transitive + intransitive

: to thoroughly consider or analyze : examine

Although drilling down into all of the complications of the 2007 to 2009 economic and financial crisis is a task requiring more verbosity than a column permits, a quick rundown for context is worthwhile.

—M. Ray Perryman

But we don't have much data that drills down on the voting preferences of people in specific jobs, to distinguish between, say, dishwashers and factory workers.

—Irv Randolph

Matches are based on a lengthy questionnaire that drills down the specifics of your dating preferences and personality.

—Dorothy Pitti

Examples of drill down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Transformers Foundation warned that if brands aren’t willing to drill down to this level of traceability and verification, the industry could face everything from legal liability to loss of market access. —Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 26 May 2026

Whereas some racing games drill down on creating the most realistic racing game available, the Playground Games series revels in car culture and wants to give players the most opportunities to explore it and turn it into their own art. —Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 20 May 2026

One way to do this is to drill down on a heart-healthy lifestyle, which includes measures like eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly. —Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 12 May 2026

Earlier in the season, Rodríguez spoke with PEOPLE about how the show tries to balance the darkness, while also drilling down to the root of Will's journey, which is his desire to have a family of his own. —Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for drill down

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