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
Last season, an industry source told The Athletic that Ramírez and his camp wanted to nail down his future in Cleveland and could initiate contract extension talks.
—
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
What all these variables point to is a world in which companies looking to maximize their valuations in an environment of peak M&A activity need to have their ESG and sustainability reporting nailed down—even if they are not mandated to make public disclosures.
—Mary Foley, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Comer announced at a committee hearing Wednesday that lawmakers had succeeded in nailing down a date for a deposition with the British former socialite who procured victims for Epstein.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
The writers were nailing down one of the last scenes where the stars confront Vecna and the Mind Flayer in the Abyss and discussed whether or not other Upside Down monsters — specifically Demogorgons — should appear.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nail down
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Zack Meisel, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
What all these variables point to is a world in which companies looking to maximize their valuations in an environment of peak M&A activity need to have their ESG and sustainability reporting nailed down—even if they are not mandated to make public disclosures.
—Mary Foley, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Comer announced at a committee hearing Wednesday that lawmakers had succeeded in nailing down a date for a deposition with the British former socialite who procured victims for Epstein.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
The writers were nailing down one of the last scenes where the stars confront Vecna and the Mind Flayer in the Abyss and discussed whether or not other Upside Down monsters — specifically Demogorgons — should appear.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nail down
Cite this Entry
“Nail down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail%20down. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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