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

Let facts inform your decision; ignore claims or twisted logic and drill down to the real real. —Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026

Let facts inform your decision, ignore claims or twisted logic and drill down to the real real. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2026

Of regional giants, Brazil’s Globo will host a Showcase drilling down on its telenovela strategies, Banijay a panel on its expansion in Latin America. —John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Jan. 2026

The Tigers also drilled down on not committing fouls in practice. —Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 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