1
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
2
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
3
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
4
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
5
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
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Recent Examples of nailed
Then, Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes nailed a game-winning three-pointer in overtime to defeat Team World.
—
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
South Shore was able to eat at the deficit later in the quarter, as Jackson nailed a pair of three-pointers and finished with 10 out of the Vikings’ 12 points.
—Zach McMahon, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
These raised garden beds are made of single, foot-wide planks of wood nailed together.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026
For her winning run, Gremaud, a 26-year-old who has last year’s world championship title to go with her two Olympic golds, skied backward, then flipped twice while spinning once and nailed the landing.
—Eddie Pells, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
That's much better from Alex Hall, he's nailed his second run!
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
The thoughtful staff have nailed the art of discretion here and genuinely care.
—Harriet Compston, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Defending champion Germaud and Gu, the 2018 champ were clearly the best in the competition, and both nailed eye-popping tricks.
—Outside, 9 Feb. 2026
Chiles nailed the routine, scoring a perfect 10 for the fourth consecutive week.
—Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
South Shore was able to eat at the deficit later in the quarter, as Jackson nailed a pair of three-pointers and finished with 10 out of the Vikings’ 12 points.
—Zach McMahon, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
These raised garden beds are made of single, foot-wide planks of wood nailed together.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026
For her winning run, Gremaud, a 26-year-old who has last year’s world championship title to go with her two Olympic golds, skied backward, then flipped twice while spinning once and nailed the landing.
—Eddie Pells, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
That's much better from Alex Hall, he's nailed his second run!
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
The thoughtful staff have nailed the art of discretion here and genuinely care.
—Harriet Compston, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Defending champion Germaud and Gu, the 2018 champ were clearly the best in the competition, and both nailed eye-popping tricks.
—Outside, 9 Feb. 2026
Chiles nailed the routine, scoring a perfect 10 for the fourth consecutive week.
—Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailed
Verb
-
As former agent and cap expert Joel Corry told me, the amount that Ross agrees to pay of Tagovailoa’s 2026 salary (for a new team) would not have much effect on his Dolphins’ dead money cap hit provided the trade is made after June 1.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Some of the students at Naperville North tried to mimic the coach’s actions, working on their technique, while other appeared to be more focused on hitting the ball to their friend as hard as possible.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The former owners, Jennifer Bury and Gavin O’Neal, decided to sell the house on the corner of 15th and Franklin streets in early 2024.—
Angela Palermo
February 15,
Idaho Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
-
In a world filled with high-tech robotics kits and programmable gadgets, one artist decided to strip everything back to the fundamentals of physics.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And so the city was exposed to future hurricanes, and lost the living guardians whose roots held the land in place.—
Melina Walling,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
And how much angst could I have been spared if I’d been exposed to some of these ideas slightly earlier?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The men ran into an apartment and eventually were arrested.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
As the situation remains fraught in Iran, and with several opposition politicians arrested just this week, Vogue speaks to three Iranian designers on why their home country needs our support right now.—
Emily Chan,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Doncic turned to run back up the court and grabbed the back of his left leg.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Jarrett Allen scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Dennis Schroder added 11 points in his Cavaliers debut and Keon Ellis had 6 points in his first game with the Cavaliers, who won for the seventh time in eight games.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Within seconds, Perez smacked a cellphone out of the man's hand, swung at his head and tackled him to the ground.—
Sheridan Hendrix,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
-
After accepting a cross-ice pass from Ryan McDonagh, Kucherov smacked a one-timer from outside the right faceoff dot over Swayman’s glove, tying the score at 5-5.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While 657 classified positions have been identified for closure, the district spokesperson said the final number of layoffs has not yet been determined and is expected to be lower due to retirements and other personnel moves.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Fast forward to 1976 and James Wheeler enters a cave determined to uncover the truth — and is never seen again.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Security researchers have uncovered a malicious Chrome and Edge extension called NexShield that pretends to be a fast, privacy-friendly ad blocker.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
An unannounced test of NASA's towering Space Launch System rocket uncovered another issue with the vehicle meant to soon launch astronauts on a mission around the moon.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nailed. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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