1
as in piercing
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 shooting
to strike with a missile from a gun
drilled the target from 100 yards away
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in planting
to put or set into the ground to grow
he drills soybeans in the same rows with corn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 drilling
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
To fill out context, development costs in 2020 for drilling production and injection wells and production facilities lie in a range of $3 - $5 billion in GOA.
—Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
And there are economic reasons to release methane from oil operations—to make more money drilling for more oil rather than to still make money, but less, capturing and using the gas found alongside the oil.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
And Stanton delivered, drilling a go-ahead two-run home run that proved to be the game-winner in the Yankees’ 6-4 victory.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
Bedrock Energy, a geothermal drilling startup company that employs advanced drilling techniques developed by the oil and gas industry, is currently drilling dozens of boreholes that will help heat and cool the town’s Northwest Colorado Business District.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025
Drills are best for drilling holes and driving small screws, but an impact driver is a must for driving longer screws and bolts.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Word spread like wildfire, and people started coming from near and far to drink the water, some even drilling their own wells.
—Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
Construction guys are banging and drilling in her endless, Shining-like hallway.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
Renewed federal support for drilling in the US, combined with languid global oil demand and increasing drilling by OPEC countries, has pushed oil prices to their lowest level since the pandemic.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
To fill out context, development costs in 2020 for drilling production and injection wells and production facilities lie in a range of $3 - $5 billion in GOA.
—Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
And there are economic reasons to release methane from oil operations—to make more money drilling for more oil rather than to still make money, but less, capturing and using the gas found alongside the oil.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
And Stanton delivered, drilling a go-ahead two-run home run that proved to be the game-winner in the Yankees’ 6-4 victory.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
Bedrock Energy, a geothermal drilling startup company that employs advanced drilling techniques developed by the oil and gas industry, is currently drilling dozens of boreholes that will help heat and cool the town’s Northwest Colorado Business District.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025
Drills are best for drilling holes and driving small screws, but an impact driver is a must for driving longer screws and bolts.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Word spread like wildfire, and people started coming from near and far to drink the water, some even drilling their own wells.
—Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
Construction guys are banging and drilling in her endless, Shining-like hallway.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drilling. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share