1
as in pierced
to make a hole or series of holes in
the nerve-jangling sound when a dentist drills a tooth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in popped
to strike with a missile from a gun
drilled the target from 100 yards away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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
ABC News,
21 June 2026
The exchange came about a minute after Clark drilled a 3-pointer in Reese's face.
—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
He was pulled from Monday's game against Miami after getting drilled on the right wrist and missed the next game.
—
CBS News,
18 June 2026
One of the hottest hitters on the planet this month, Soto drilled a 1-2 cutter from Nola into the right field stands with ease in the first inning.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2026
Sediment cores - long cylinders of material drilled from riverbeds and lakebeds - gave us a chronological record of what was deposited over decades.
—
Lisa Emili,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
Yet with few exceptions, federal rules have allowed these practices at wells drilled before 2012 — which include the overwhelming majority of stripper wells.
—
Alex Cuadros,
ProPublica,
16 June 2026
Wright drilled playing off two feet, jump-stopping and pivoting.
—
Cj Moore,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Pinch-hitter Brice Matthews drilled a solo homer 433-feet into the left-field seats.
—
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Verb
DeLuca, who also homered on Friday in his first game back from injury, drilled a towering ball into the left field stands off Orlando Ribalta (0-1) with one out to bring home Yandy Diaz to put the Rays in front.
—
ABC News,
21 June 2026
The exchange came about a minute after Clark drilled a 3-pointer in Reese's face.
—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
He was pulled from Monday's game against Miami after getting drilled on the right wrist and missed the next game.
—
CBS News,
18 June 2026
One of the hottest hitters on the planet this month, Soto drilled a 1-2 cutter from Nola into the right field stands with ease in the first inning.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2026
Sediment cores - long cylinders of material drilled from riverbeds and lakebeds - gave us a chronological record of what was deposited over decades.
—
Lisa Emili,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
Yet with few exceptions, federal rules have allowed these practices at wells drilled before 2012 — which include the overwhelming majority of stripper wells.
—
Alex Cuadros,
ProPublica,
16 June 2026
Wright drilled playing off two feet, jump-stopping and pivoting.
—
Cj Moore,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Pinch-hitter Brice Matthews drilled a solo homer 433-feet into the left-field seats.
—
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drilled
Verb
-
Players like Charlie Sifford (first Black player to earn a PGA Tour card), Lee Elder (first Black player in the Masters) and Calvin Peete (12 wins on the PGA Tour) are on the short list of African-Americans who pierced golf's racial barrier.
-
Once the water boils, add the florets and cook until the largest pieces can be easily pierced with a knife, 8 to 12 minutes.
Verb
-
Fans shrieked and hollered as every player in the realmwide war — Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), Prince Daemon (Matt Smith), the Sea Snake (Steve Toussaint) and his nemesis Lohar (Abigail Thorn) — popped up.
-
The game was delayed for seven minutes in the fourth when a camera installed in front of second base popped up through the grass.
Verb
-
Rip planted his fist into Rob-Will's face during their first meeting in Episode 1, and things have only gotten more tense through.
-
Prime Video has planted a flag in the YA space, and there is more to come under Nicole Clemens, now Head of International Originals, including adaptations such as Boys of Tommen.
Verb
-
Algeria turned up the pressure in the second half and had multiple shots on goal that Jordan goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila punched away, but a corner kick in the 69th minute proved to be the Jordanian keeper’s kryptonite.
-
At least in comparison to Gragson being punched by Ross Chastain at the Kansas Speedway three years ago.
Verb
-
Water bursts from a door, and Grande finds herself in a room where a version of herself is plugged into a computer with her memories being erased.
-
Factory owners simply plugged new power sources into the same floor plan, workflows and organizational structure.
Verb
-
Even in a warm climate, peppers are not direct seeded but started in pots, which provides much better control over the germination process.
-
Indeed, Western multinationals happily seeded entire industries in China.
Verb
-
Griffin also poked at the cohosts in the immediate aftermath of Hasselbeck and former View moderator Rosie O'Donnell's legendary on-air fight in 2007, as Griffin was a guest host the following day and brought up the incident numerous times — which annoyed Walters in the moment.
-
Late in the third, the Knights seemed to retake the lead after Pavel Dorofeyev poked home a loose puck.
Verb
-
If the job of a debut album is to introduce an artist to the world, while a sophomore album reinforces their reputation, then a third album offers a channel for artists to expand beyond the familiar tricks and peculiarities that shot them to fame in the first place.
-
Police say he had been shot in the back and neck.
Cite this Entry
“Drilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drilled. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
