nailed

past tense of nail
1
2
3
as in exposed
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
5

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 nailed Fresh off a 45-point effort at Miami Wednesday, Edwards nailed a 3 for his first points but then missed his next 10 field goals. — ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026 According to tradition, Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on this day. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Oct. 2026 Kelley, in perhaps the most emotional performance of his own career, nailed the song. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026 After Denver stalled out again with barely a minute left, Jason Myers nailed a 34-yard field goal with three seconds on the clock to force overtime. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Between the sharp design, impressive audio, seamless recipe integration, and clever multi-user privacy features, Apple seems to have nailed the fundamentals right out of the gate. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026 During a drive bolstered by a 36-yard pass from Thomas to Dakorien Moore, Oregon nailed a field goal, cutting the lead to a possession. — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 As for those celebrities who have nailed the long-hair-don’t-care look, well, there are plenty of them. — Hannah Coates, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026 And yet when Winston took over for Dart in Monday’s first quarter, and as the Giants’ offense floundered while falling behind big, Beckham was nailed to the bench. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailed
Verb
  • The wreckage of Wednesday's crash reminded many of the aftermath of another train collision in January, when 46 people died in southern Spain when an Iryo train jumped the track and hit an oncoming Renfe train.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The teams combined to hit just four homers, three for Milwaukee.
    — Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Flying to San Diego With a packed helicopter and dwindling fuel, the crew decided to head to the Coast Guard station in San Diego where ambulances were waiting.
    — Jaimie Ding, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Its creator, Ryan Murphy, decided to include an episode inspired by the famous 1969 Monegasque ball, only this time, the character played by Kardashian was the host.
    — Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 25 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Door opening from kitchen to dish area does not have finished opening and the concrete blocks that were cut for the wall opening are exposed.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The result exposed vulnerabilities in Lula’s reelection bid, from frustration over the cost of living and crime to difficulties mobilizing parts of his traditional base.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The officers eventually got the driver out of the vehicle and arrested him.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Authorities arrested a 33-year-old man on suspicion of arson.
    — Geir Moulson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • And when Buzelis grabbed that pass out of the air, double-clutching on his way to a dunk, the Bulls could hear for a moment the tune of a new future for this team.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Woodman also alleged that Andreatta grabbed Pagano’s hand and wrist.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Nutella, dulce de leche, cheesecake bites and the mini chocolate chips all got smacked with Stop Sales.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Technically, this chart is like getting smacked in the face with a greasy paper bag filled with lamb gyros.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The researchers determined how high the barriers must be and their necessary width for electrons to flow through.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Dairy farmers sell into commodity markets where prices are largely determined by global supply and demand, while essential inputs such as feed, fuel and fertilizer costs are driven by many of those same external forces.
    — Jeff Tkach, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • By sampling a boulder’s upper surface and counting the beryllium, researchers could learn how long it has been uncovered.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Organizers sought to distance themselves from potential unrest, urging participants to keep their faces uncovered and hands visible.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nailed. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster