1
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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2
as in popped
to strike with a missile from a gun
drilled the target from 100 yards away
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Recent Examples of drilled
Kendra MacDonald, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Jake Cronenworth drilled a comebacker off Brown’s leg for an RBI single.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
His company saw a 2,408% increase in flaring immediately following new wells being drilled and a 692% increase in flaring overall in 2023, according to emails unearthed by environmental watchdog organization Fieldnotes and shared with ProPublica and Inside Climate News.
—ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
And from an early age, father drilled a lesson into his son.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
Viewers were able to see a short clip of the bathroom, which was empty bar the CD player that had been drilled onto a wall.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Just recently, this administration has moved to bring wells 8 and 9 online for water production that were drilled around 2017.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
New Cal placekicker Abram Murray drilled a 49-yard field goal on the final play of the first half for a 17-3 lead.
—Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
The school had drilled children regularly on lockdowns at the school and kept doors secured during the day – measures that officials believe prevented the carnage from escalating further.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
My parents drilled this into me.
—Kendra MacDonald, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Jake Cronenworth drilled a comebacker off Brown’s leg for an RBI single.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
His company saw a 2,408% increase in flaring immediately following new wells being drilled and a 692% increase in flaring overall in 2023, according to emails unearthed by environmental watchdog organization Fieldnotes and shared with ProPublica and Inside Climate News.
—ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
And from an early age, father drilled a lesson into his son.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
Viewers were able to see a short clip of the bathroom, which was empty bar the CD player that had been drilled onto a wall.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Just recently, this administration has moved to bring wells 8 and 9 online for water production that were drilled around 2017.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
New Cal placekicker Abram Murray drilled a 49-yard field goal on the final play of the first half for a 17-3 lead.
—Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
The school had drilled children regularly on lockdowns at the school and kept doors secured during the day – measures that officials believe prevented the carnage from escalating further.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drilled. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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