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

In addition to purportedly nailing down a cause, the NIH plans to create a registry to track Americans with autism and integrate that into the data, CBS News reported. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025

Capponi also encourages celebrity entrepreneurs to really nail down understanding their supply chain. —Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025

After earning herself an Academy Award with her Sense and Sensibility script, Thompson leant her pen to another Jane Austen adaptation — and helped nail down a speech that would inspire two decades worth of memes and angsty birthday cakes. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025

And in long-term relationships, that mutual respect for emotional truth might matter more than nailing down historical accuracy. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for nail down

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