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 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 Bottom line Meta nailed it Wednesday, and Wall Street is taking notice. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026 A week with the 2027 Dodge Charger Scat Pack revealed that the team involved nailed some parts of this reboot but fumbled plenty of others. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 24 Sep. 2026 This season will cover the Crucifixion and the final 24 hours of Jesus’ life before he is nailed to the cross. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailed

Verb

Prosecutors said Wilcox was hit by gunfire, fell to the ground and fired three more gunshots at the officers.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
The different program sales operations of Skydance hit the Côte d’Azur under their pre-existing Paramount and WB brands.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of hit

Verb

But, Majumder said, several temples including her own have decided to carry on their celebrations with additional security provided by the city of Aurora at their places of worship.

— Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
India has decided to make the trade-off to buy cheaper oil and sort of look the other way, that that's giving money to a guy who's murdering thousands of people every week.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of decided

Verb

That means most people are exposed to AI’s downsides — rising electricity costs, potential job disruption — without any claim on its upside.

— Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
The White House decision has heightened fears that Ukraine could be left exposed to Moscow's escalating attacks as winter approaches.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of exposed

Verb

Agents arrested four people, including the property owner, and arrested a fifth the next day, according to previous Statesman reporting.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
Among the 105 people who were ultimately arrested, 75 are believed to have been deported to their home countries, according to local media, and 26 were released from ICE custody after their lawyers filed habeas corpus petitions.

— Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrested

Verb

The Eagles also have been smacked with injuries and played without several key starters.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, two longtime opponents for this franchise, then smacked consecutive homers off Lee, who’d surrendered three long balls the entire regular season.

— Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 1 Oct. 2026