1
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
the boxer nailed his opponent with a devastating left hook
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to decide
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute
this latest infidelity nails it—I'm filing for divorce
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to expose
to reveal the true nature of
an investigative report that nailed the teenage novelist as someone who had plagiarized the works of others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to arrest
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
the very first time I tried to steal anything, I got nailed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
the running back saw the pass coming in and nailed it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nail
Endless Space 2 nails the basics of the genre and then stacks plenty of distinct elements on top to create something that’s memorable.
—
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
In a video shared to her Instagram Stories, Simone and her sister Adria were seen jumping up and down and screaming after Bears kicker Jake Moody nailed a field goal as time expired.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Moody, with three seconds left and a steady mist coming down, nailed a 38-yard field goal to give the Bears the 25-24 win.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
The humanoid also nails a couple of spins and launches a few punches.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
In a video shared to her Instagram Stories, Simone and her sister Adria were seen jumping up and down and screaming after Bears kicker Jake Moody nailed a field goal as time expired.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Moody, with three seconds left and a steady mist coming down, nailed a 38-yard field goal to give the Bears the 25-24 win.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
The humanoid also nails a couple of spins and launches a few punches.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail
Verb
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Fall boating can mean peaceful days on Arkansas' large reservoirs while many hunters begin to hit the woods instead of the water.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Apple’s iPhone surge Shares of Apple surged 4% to hit a new record on Monday after a report of surprisingly strong sales of its new iPhone 17.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As the team struggles with grief, Sharon decides to pull Station 42 off active duty entirely, rather than assign a new captain.—
Alamin Yohannes,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
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When New Jersey suddenly came down hard on business, neighbouring Delaware decided to rewrite its rulebook to scoop up companies fleeing the state.—
Jan Hammer,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, since the announcement, discourse around who should and shouldn’t be given wings exposed just how stuck in the past some viewers still are.—
Essence,
Essence,
16 Oct. 2025
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By comparing two types of borosilicate glass, one containing magnesium and one without, the team discovered that the diffusion of boron atoms depends strongly on the glass composition and the time it has been exposed to water.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bilodeau was arrested Tuesday and arraigned in a Nassau County court Wednesday morning.—
Lauren del Valle,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
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One particularly aggressive military style raid on an apartment building in south Chicago saw dozens arrested and children separated from their parents.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Casanovas’ use of the brand as a platform for self-expression has clearly grabbed attention among his Gen Z peers.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
20 Oct. 2025
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So instead of getting out your sad, chipped mixing bowls as your backup serving pieces, grab a three-piece set of these Trudeau porcelain serving bowls.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Last year in a Bravo League football game against Tesoro, a 44-14 win for the Sea Kings in which Annett passed for 285 yards, he was hit by a defender while making a throw, knocking his right (throwing) shoulder out of socket.—
Richard Dunn,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
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This isn’t to knock van der Kolk’s book—a book on mental health being so popular feels like a win—but fewer and fewer books getting larger and larger deals is a worrying trend.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Investigators are still determining what caused the crash.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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Modern warfare increasingly depends on neuroscientific findings to help determine the best ways to train soldiers, defend populations against disinformation, and manage deterrence strategies.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An early example was uncovered by the young Benjaman Graham, who went on co-author a classic book on investing, and was the early mentor to Warren Buffett.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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The mathematical problems had already been solved by humans—and GPT-5 had simply uncovered the existing solutions to those problems.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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