1
as in piercing
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 shooting
to strike with a missile from a gun
drilled the target from 100 yards away
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as in planting
to put or set into the ground to grow
he drills soybeans in the same rows with corn
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Recent Examples of drilling
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Most recommend drilling 1-inch holes an inch or so deep in the surface of the stump, filling the holes with the chemical remover, and covering the stump with a tarp to keep children and pets safely away.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
These systems allow the robot to plan routes autonomously, maintain precise positioning, and adapt to changing underground conditions while drilling beneath the seabed.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Jan. 2026
Doncic blew a kiss to the crowd and threw his hands in the air after drilling a first-quarter three.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Eugenio said some of her clients have had success conversing and drilling with artificial intelligence chatbots in voice mode.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Energy experts say this trend shows how sharply the US and China are diverging on the energy transition, with China sprinting far ahead on renewables and EVs, while the US doubles down on drilling oil at home and abroad.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
Cherry tallied five points in the opening stanza, drilling a last-second three-pointer as the Lancers closed the frame with a 13-7 lead.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
And either way, companies will need to make up for declining output from existing, aging wells — which means drilling new ones.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
Rookie Egor Demin opened the game with no fear, drilling back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Nets an early spark.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Most recommend drilling 1-inch holes an inch or so deep in the surface of the stump, filling the holes with the chemical remover, and covering the stump with a tarp to keep children and pets safely away.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
These systems allow the robot to plan routes autonomously, maintain precise positioning, and adapt to changing underground conditions while drilling beneath the seabed.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Jan. 2026
Doncic blew a kiss to the crowd and threw his hands in the air after drilling a first-quarter three.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Eugenio said some of her clients have had success conversing and drilling with artificial intelligence chatbots in voice mode.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Energy experts say this trend shows how sharply the US and China are diverging on the energy transition, with China sprinting far ahead on renewables and EVs, while the US doubles down on drilling oil at home and abroad.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
Cherry tallied five points in the opening stanza, drilling a last-second three-pointer as the Lancers closed the frame with a 13-7 lead.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
And either way, companies will need to make up for declining output from existing, aging wells — which means drilling new ones.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drilling. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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