Synonyms of drills

drills 1 of 3

noun

plural of drill

1

as in routines

an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity

shuttling the kids between extracurricular activities is all part of the suburban drill

Synonyms & Similar Words

• routines
• grinds
• ruts
• grooves
• patterns
• techniques
• habits
• rotes
• methods
• treadmills
• practices
• locksteps
• procedures
• strategies
• regimens
• programs
• plans
• traditions
• approaches
• styles
• customs
• tricks
• tacks
• policies
• schemes
• housekeepings
• manners
• daily dozens
• designs
• fashions
• conventions
• ways
• wonts

2

as in exercises

something done over and over in order to develop skill

doing vocabulary drills all afternoon in preparation for the test

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exercises
• practices
• lessons
• workouts
• trainings
• routines
• homeworks
• assignments
• refreshers
• brushups
• reviews

drills

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of drill

1

as in punches

to make a hole or series of holes in

the nerve-jangling sound when a dentist drills a tooth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• punches
• holes
• pierces
• pokes
• bores
• punctures
• taps
• perforates
• riddles
• cuts
• penetrates
• breaks
• splits
• broaches
• pricks
• excavates
• slashes
• grooves
• burrows (into)
• slits
• gouges
• hollows
• ruptures
• notches
• rends
• prickles
• gashes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fills
• plugs
• seals
• patches

2

as in shoots

to strike with a missile from a gun

drilled the target from 100 yards away

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shoots
• guns
• pops
• plugs
• drops
• kills
• destroys
• slaughters
• pistols
• slays
• brings down
• blows away
• picks off
• machine-guns
• shoots down
• fires (at)
• peppers
• shotguns
• blazes
• dispatches
• blasts (at)
• massacres
• butchers
• tommy-guns
• wipes out
• potshots
• snipes (at)
• ices
• blots out
• fells
• annihilates
• decimates
• does in
• croaks

drills

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of drill

as in plants

to put or set into the ground to grow

he drills soybeans in the same rows with corn

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plants
• seeds
• puts in
• sows
• beds
• transplants
• broadcasts
• replants
• pots
• scatters
• reseeds
• overseeds

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gathers
• reaps
• harvests

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of drills

Noun

Cornerback Reddy Steward also had an interception in team drills. — Jon MacHota, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Subsequent drills eliminate even more candidates, but not Shannon (Shannon Hayes), a local Richmond soccer enthusiast whom Ted recognizes and greets by name. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026

The drills this year were designed to adapt to North Korea’s evolving capabilities and would incorporate training to counter drones, GPS disruption and cyberattacks, a spokesperson for US Forces Korea said last week. — Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Tight end Tucker Kraft, in just his second practice doing team drills, had one of the best catches of camp. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Mirza Zulfiqar Rahman, an independent researcher who has studied the Brahmaputra, said warnings sometimes fail to travel from government offices into communities and are rarely paired with enough drills and preparedness. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

First set of 11 on 11 team drills ▪ Malik Washington had a seven-yard run to open 11 on 11 drills. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026

Tuesday morning’s workout brought a welcome diversion from drills, when SDSU players and coaches moved from the turf to the grass practice field and actually played some football. — Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Sacramento State President Luke Wood and Hornets Athletic Director Mark Orr were also on hand for practice drills. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Verb

Other notes from Panthers-Jaguars practice First-round pick rookie offensive tackle Monroe Freeling held his own in one-on-one drills as well as team drills in practice on Wednesday. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026

The plan was to use the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills to assess systems so Seoul could assume wartime operational control, Yu Ji-hoon, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, wrote in The Diplomat. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Taiwan has stepped up the intensity of the Han Kuang drills, incorporating reservists and more civilians into the exercises with a focus on real-world scenarios. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026

With Bosa yet to practice in team drills all camp and sidelined the past week with knee tendinitis amid his ACL comeback, the 49ers need to accelerate Height’s participation. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026

The Jets and Buccaneers were in the middle of special teams drills late in practice when Stiggers came to the sideline and briefly lost consciousness. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Cam Lewis, after exiting practice Saturday with an undisclosed injury, remained out of team drills Tuesday. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026

On the plus side of injury news, Dolphins defensive end Josh Uche participated in Wednesday’s session after he was pulled out of team drills Monday and began running off to the side of practice. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026

The team’s entire draft class has participated in some fashion during special teams drills. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026