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

Scientists are still trying to nail down that answer. —Michaeleen Doucleff, NPR, 24 Nov. 2025

Another point parents need to nail down, Nguyen Williams said, is that owning and riding an e-bike is a privilege, not a right. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2025

Thanksgiving is next week, and Colorado travelers are still looking to nail down last-minute plans. —Mekialaya White, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025

Sources close to the situation revealed that while a specific date hasn’t been nailed down, MJF is factored into AEW’s creative plans by December. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for nail down

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