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

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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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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 Immediately after Heckel’s make, Quinonez nailed a 3-pointer of her own, and Fudd finally got one of her signature deep shots to drop after starting 0-for-4. —

Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026 Peja walked into Illinois’ gym — hadn’t touched a ball — and nailed 13 straight 3-pointers. —

Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026 But Selena Gomez’s six-year-old brand hasn’t nailed the complexion category—yet. —

Elizabeth Denton, Allure, 1 Apr. 2026 With 10 seconds remaining, their defense forced a turnover, and the freshman phenom, Mulluns, nailed a three-pointer from the logo on the court. —

Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 This feels like the committee nailed it. —

Zach Harper, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026 Within days, a Mustang GT got nailed at 85 decibels. —

Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026 The Nuggets ended the game on a 21-5 run and a catharsis, as Jamal Murray nailed a dagger 3-pointer and played to the crowd that had jeered his team not long ago. —

Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026 Less than two minutes later, the second-year Celtic received a pass from Payton Pritchard, dodged around a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander closeout and nailed a 3-pointer that stretched his team’s lead to double digits. —

Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailed

Verb

Five pitchers combined for nine strikeouts and allowed just hits for Andrew (4-3).

— Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Among them was Linda Parker, the president and CEO of Women In Distress of Broward County, who said Metayer’s death hit close to home.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026