DRILLED Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

drilled 1 of 2

verb (1)

past tense of drill

as in pierced

to make a hole or series of holes in the nerve-jangling sound when a dentist drills a tooth

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as in popped

to strike with a missile from a gun drilled the target from 100 yards away

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drilled

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of drill

as in planted

to put or set into the ground to grow he drills soybeans in the same rows with corn

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drilled

Verb

The 29-year-old bopper has drilled 26 home runs against right-handed pitching, 19 at home and 15 at home against righties in 2026. — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026 The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, which monitors and approves wells across the state, said staff have counted eight wells drilled without the office’s permission along the southern border, but cautioned there could be more. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 Caleb Lomu again went 2-2 during individual pass rush drills, a roller-coaster performance for the first-round rookie who mostly drilled as the backup right tackle in team periods. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 1 Aug. 2026 Stewart drilled a 3-pointer through contact to secure a 50-32 win, further cementing his team’s place atop the league. — Ava Dicecca, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026 Mahomes-to-Kelce connection Roughly 45 minutes into the training session, the field-goal team took center stage as placekicker Harrison Butker drilled nearly every attempt. — Pete Grathoff july 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 Moon and his colleagues recently extracted water drawn from gas wells drilled 650 to 1,650 feet deep into the Antrim Shale, a rock formation that spans the entire Great Lakes. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 July 2026 Everyone, save for the rookies, has been drilled on what to do to properly operate here. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drilled

Verb

According to the artist who made it, John Buckley, and the owner of the home pierced by the shark, Bill Heine, the work was meant as a protest against the recent bombing of Libya, nuclear power and nuclear war, among other things.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
In his season of DWTS, Irwin opened up about navigating grief after the death of his father Steve Irwin, who died in 2006 after being pierced by a stingray barb.

— Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026

Definition of pierced

Verb

If your bed is already planted, topdress the soil with a few inches of organic matter like wood chips, straw, leaf mold, or pine bark instead of mixing it into the soil.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 July 2026
Rough stone walls, planted roofs, sandy plaster and warm wood allow the buildings to recede into the landscape.

— Melinda Sheckells, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of planted

Verb

On Thursday, workers excavated a 3-foot-by-4-foot area to find the source of the water, plugged the leak and resumed preparing the street to reopen.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
However, that battery capacity allows the Spéirling Pure to cover a race distance of 25 to 31 miles (40 to 50 km) at maximum LMP2 pace before needing to be plugged back in.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 July 2026

Definition of plugged

Verb

In pro singles, 3rd seeded Roos van Reek came out on top over 4th seeded Yu-chieh Hsieh in the Women’s pro singles, with both top seeds (Hendry and Bates) falling early.

— Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
With Hulls, D’Antonio is co-executive director of the Point Reyes Good Luck Fund, a nonprofit that Hulls seeded with $15 million of his own money to buy and restore historic buildings and properties in West Marin, including the Old Western.

— Marin Independent Journal, Mercury News, 25 July 2026

Definition of seeded

Verb

Offering a clever twist, the warm cake is poked with the handle of a wooden spoon, creating space for a vanilla-pineapple pudding to sink deep into the crumb.

— Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
Let sit at room temperature until buns are puffed and expanded to edges of muffin cups (dough will spring back when poked but hold a slight indentation), 25–35 minutes.

— Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of poked

Verb

Colin Gray’s sentencing represents the end of a harrowing road that began with the September 2024 shooting in which his son, then 14, fatally shot two students and two teachers and injured nine others at his Winder, Georgia, high school.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Basically, Georgia will never be able to do anything right in Emira’s eyes, so the messenger is getting shot.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 30 July 2026

Definition of shot

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“Drilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drilled. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of drilled

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verb (2)

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