NAILED Synonyms: 252 Similar and Opposite Words

nailed

verb

past tense of nail

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

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

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

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

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 Corbin then nailed his End of Days finishing maneuver on Williams and pinned him for the win. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Gunther nailed Balor and Owens with a pair of big boots, then blasted Zayn with a vicious chop. — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 The wearer of the yellow jersey was nailed on for another win, this time in a bunch sprint instead of a reduced pack. — Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Only this past week, Charles took a swig and decided the master brewers, Tim and Shaun Wilson at East Rock, had nailed it. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026 The gambrel-roof’s shingles were pegged into roof beams rather than nailed, and the lath that held its plaster walls together was woven in place rather than nailed, according to an architectural survey of the county. — Mark Price july 17, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2026 Red Schoendienst tried to steal a run for the NL after Stone was summoned in the eighth inning, but the pitcher’s throw to the plate nailed the runner for the third out. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 Bath & Body Works, however, nailed it by tapping Hilary Duff as the face of its new Fruit Fusion collection. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 7 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailed

Verb

Musk pointed to each of the three business lines as part of the pillars of the company that will fuel what would have to be 10x growth in three or four years to hit his $1 trillion revenue projection.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
Additionally, Alvarez’s chances to hit a home run will get a pick-me-up from playing at home.

— Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of hit

Verb

Recent attacks have also exposed how Russia’s air defense systems were not designed to combat drones, but rather to shoot down conventional military aircraft and missiles, analysts previously told CNN.

— Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
German scientists identified bacteria present in cow digestion and poop that seem to help children exposed to them avoid developing asthma.

— Baltimore Sun, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of exposed

Verb

An 18-year-old Los Banos resident was arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found shot to death early Sunday in Turlock, police said.

— Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manhattan, was arrested early Sunday and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, just hours after the boat carrying 14 people overturned in New York Harbor, the New York Police Department said.

— Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of arrested

Verb

Wood stayed in the game for a lengthy bottom of the seventh, during which Phillies outfielder Derek Hill smacked a go-ahead grand slam to stir the crowd at Citizens Bank Park.

— Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Almost two years ago, China’s east coast was smacked by one of the strongest storms in decades, which temporarily halted container operations at both Shanghai and Ningbo ports.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 8 July 2026

Definition of smacked

Verb

Investigators said that all the teens knew one another but have not yet determined a motive for the killings, according to DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger.

— Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
The Bankruptcy Court noted that the bankruptcy statutes do not define who is a beneficiary and that the issue would be determined by Arizona state law.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of determined

Verb

The spa Separated from the main hotel, this historic spa showcases the centuries-old frescoes that were uncovered during the renovation.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
The massive wildfire outside the southwestern city of Bordeaux, which has scorched about 420 square kilometers (162 square miles), uncovered what is believed to be World War II-era ammunition.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026