nail down

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

Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert have shown flashes of promise, but nobody has nailed down the left-wing role since former captain Son Heung-min joined Los Angeles FC last summer. —Jay Harris, New York Times, 2 June 2026

If the Bulldogs nail down an eventual commitment from two of these three receivers, that would make receivers coach James Coley very happy. —Jeff Sentell, AJC.com, 29 May 2026

After nailing down your swimwear and a flirty cover-up, take the beachside vibe to the next level with accessories to match. —India Roby, Glamour, 28 May 2026

This prompted Royals manager Matt Quatraro to turn to his bullpen — Daniel Lynch IV, John Schreiber and Lucas Erceg nailed down the victory. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2026

Rhymes for nail down

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