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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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 An old tree stand, made of two boards nailed between two trees, overlooked the trail. — Rich Larocco, Outdoor Life, 2 Nov. 2026 If the point of a Halloween costume is to be unrecognizable, Madonna nailed the assignment. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 2 Nov. 2026 Veronika Slowikowska and Grace Reiter nailed it as Kelly Clarkson and the mechanical singing bird from Clarkson’s online feud with a Brooklyn gift shop. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2026 In recent years, the two comedians, actors, and Ride podcast co-hosts—who are also real-life BFFs—have nailed the storied art of incredibly niche, highly specific, social media brainrot Halloween costumes. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026 Gray and Angel Reese nailed shots from long range on successive possessions to rebuild the Dream’s lead to 19, bringing State Farm Arena to its collective feet. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026 Lillard nailed the shot from the wing and tacked on a technical free throw when play was stopped when Williams was called for flopping. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 George, Pritchard and Sam Hauser each nailed a 3 during a 93-second stretch that pushed Boston ahead 89-70 late in the third. — CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Fresh off a 45-point effort at Miami Wednesday, Edwards nailed a 3 for his first points but then missed his next 10 field goals. — ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailed

Verb

Moderna just hit a new high The stock is up about 36% in a month.

— Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Because their immune systems are still developing, influenza can hit them hard and fast and can quickly spiral into serious complications including pneumonia, extreme dehydration, brain inflammation or death.

— Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of hit

Verb

Likely voters who decided which candidate to support only recently in seven key Senate races favor Republicans despite an overall Democratic advantage, according to a new poll released Sunday night.

— Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
During a trip to visit one of their company’s labs, the couple decided that the region would be the perfect home to a winery resort.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of decided

Verb

Perhaps most intriguingly, the researchers also saw signs that the rock had been exposed to water during its evolution, a find detailed in work published this summer in Science Advances.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
Holding Liberty to 145 rushing yards showed promise, but allowing seven touchdowns on seven red-zone trips exposed a significant weakness.

— Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of exposed

Verb

According to Fulton County jail records, New has been arrested multiple times on suspicion of crimes including identity theft, insurance fraud, financial transaction card fraud, forgery and simple assault.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
Officers arrested a suspect and seized two weapons after windows were broken at a gun shop.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of arrested

Verb

One of the officers grabbed a protester who was filming him and deployed pepper spray after a brief struggle.

— Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
The story grabbed worldwide attention and ended tragically when the baby’s body was found in the woods just a few miles from home.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of grabbed

Verb

Season broth with salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer, uncovered, until flavors come together and broth is rich tasting, about 20 minutes.

— Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
The program, named Operation Janus, initially uncovered three hundred and fifteen thousand instances of missing fingerprint data in immigration files, which were flagged for further investigation.

— Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026