1
as in 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
Relevance
2
as in decided
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 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
as in arrested
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 grabbed
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
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
Raisman truly nailed the landing.
—
Carole Horst, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Burton nailed her debut Givenchy show for fall 2025, an exhilarating display of new silhouettes, including dramatic hourglass coats and jackets, geometric baby-doll dresses and austere gowns.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
The 7-foot-3 Frenchman dribbled the ball up the floor and nailed a three-pointer.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Ausar Thompson notched a season-high 19 points to go along with four assists, nailed his first 3 of the year and was aggressive from the opening tip.
—Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Nina Dobrev nailed Billie Eilish's signature look at the 2019 Casamigos Halloween Party.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Kicker Brandon Aubrey is 15 of 15 on the year, though, and has nailed all five of his tries from 50-plus yards.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Vocal powerhouse and violinist Natalie Stovall stepped in for the duet and nailed a 12-second high note.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Oct. 2025
Beyond the look and feel (LOTS of orange decor and side-burns), directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes nailed other era-specific components like the exaggerated way talk show guests present themselves (the psychic!
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Carole Horst, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Burton nailed her debut Givenchy show for fall 2025, an exhilarating display of new silhouettes, including dramatic hourglass coats and jackets, geometric baby-doll dresses and austere gowns.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
The 7-foot-3 Frenchman dribbled the ball up the floor and nailed a three-pointer.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Ausar Thompson notched a season-high 19 points to go along with four assists, nailed his first 3 of the year and was aggressive from the opening tip.
—Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Nina Dobrev nailed Billie Eilish's signature look at the 2019 Casamigos Halloween Party.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Kicker Brandon Aubrey is 15 of 15 on the year, though, and has nailed all five of his tries from 50-plus yards.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Vocal powerhouse and violinist Natalie Stovall stepped in for the duet and nailed a 12-second high note.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Oct. 2025
Beyond the look and feel (LOTS of orange decor and side-burns), directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes nailed other era-specific components like the exaggerated way talk show guests present themselves (the psychic!
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailed
Verb
-
Shein—a global fast-fashion juggernaut headquartered in Singapore—was mere days away from opening its first physical store in Paris, inside the BHV Marais department store, when the news hit.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Rojas, a light-hitting infielder, hit an unexpected home run in the ninth inning of Game Seven to tie it and force extra innings, when the Dodgers won it.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
After achieving cash flow positivity at the end of 2023, Airwallex decided to re-invest in the business but is on target to reach profitability once again in the fourth quarter of 2025, a spokesperson told Fortune.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The Paramount board decided to strike a settlement deal, paying $16 million to Trump’s future presidential library to end the litigation.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Removing Stains From Bathroom Floors Grout is porous and absorbs all the moisture, dirt, and soap scum it's exposed to, and that can leave it looking dark and dingy.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
People are exposed to far more aluminum in the environment than from vaccines, Plotkin notes.—
NPR,
NPR,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Wondra wasn’t charged with those felonies until March 2023, after she’d been arrested in connection with Michael’s death.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Two participants have been arrested, and three others are being questioned, one of those officials said.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After the fight, Meza grabbed a revolver from his car and shot Christina.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The Club name changed the narrative with its quarterly results as its cloud computing unit grabbed market share, again.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
With that, Kirk smacked a grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts who stepped on second base, throwing to Freeman at first for the final two outs.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The incidents were the latest to occur in the area since mid-September, when North Carolina’s east coast started being smacked by strong winds and surf waves.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Currently, there is no data on the containment status of the fire and the cause has yet to be determined.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Investigators determined that the man was struck by a driver who left the scene, police said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The latest clue comes from a complete skeleton — first uncovered in 2006 in Montana — that scientists say identifies the mystery reptile as its own species and not a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Ancient book clasps — used to keep manuscript tomes shut — were uncovered at the site, along with styli, the medieval equivalents of pens and pencils.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nailed. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share