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
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has argued that the administration is making drilling cheaper by cutting red tape.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
The company got permission from the DNR to start exploration in 2023, but did not start drilling until this year.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Production of both oil and natural gas ticked lower, while costs for everything from drilling to equipment leasing surged.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025
Another safety feature is the fact that placing the borehole in a stable area and drilling deep beyond the water table means the reactor is essentially self-disposing.
—New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2025
The 25-year-old Coolidge, Georgia, native improved to 5-for-5 on field goals this season, drilling a 57-yard blast in the first half.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2025
Trump has long berated Britain over its plans to stop drilling new domestic oil and gas, which could help power future AI data centers.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
While technology continues to improve well productivity, operators are increasingly drilling outside the core, where wells tend to produce less oil and deplete faster.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
While cracks and surface defects caused by traffic and environmental stress are easy to spot, detecting micro-cracks and damage in the lower layers still requires drilling and extracting core samples.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has argued that the administration is making drilling cheaper by cutting red tape.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
The company got permission from the DNR to start exploration in 2023, but did not start drilling until this year.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Production of both oil and natural gas ticked lower, while costs for everything from drilling to equipment leasing surged.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025
Another safety feature is the fact that placing the borehole in a stable area and drilling deep beyond the water table means the reactor is essentially self-disposing.
—New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2025
The 25-year-old Coolidge, Georgia, native improved to 5-for-5 on field goals this season, drilling a 57-yard blast in the first half.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2025
Trump has long berated Britain over its plans to stop drilling new domestic oil and gas, which could help power future AI data centers.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
While technology continues to improve well productivity, operators are increasingly drilling outside the core, where wells tend to produce less oil and deplete faster.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drilling. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share