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

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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

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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

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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

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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 Pfeiffer got a pass on the right edge of the box, cut inside and nailed a shot with her left foot. — Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026 Carey nailed her first two tumbling passes, drawing roars from her home crowd. — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Madelynn took pictures of me standing beside a sign nailed to a scaly tree. — Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026 Corbin then nailed his End of Days finishing maneuver on Williams and pinned him for the win. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailed

Verb

That was a new record and only once before has the number of moves hit double figures.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Bryce Eldridge hit his 12th home run, an impressive opposite-field shot.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 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

Colorado’s athletics program uncovered financial discrepancies during an internal audit of its 2025 records, and alerted police soon after.

— Matt Moret, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Around the same time, researchers uncovered evidence of a Chinese-speaking threat actor using DeepSeek through the open-source Hermes Agent framework to conduct highly autonomous cyberattacks.

— Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026