NAILING Synonyms: 248 Similar and Opposite Words

nailing

verb

present participle of nail

as in hitting

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 deciding

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 exposing

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in arresting

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in grabbing

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 nailing Achieving such multitudes was a practice of refinement over many months, nailing the balance between wood, gourmand, and smokey facets, while still ensuring the final result wasn’t too heavy. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026 Hitting a flawless high F while nailing a double pirouette in a peplum top. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026 That tour spawned several viral clips of Faouzia nailing the song’s soaring second chorus and bridge, including these two mid-August posts from her official TikTok account, both of which have collected over 20 million views. — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2026 After nailing a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter, Grupe injured his right knee while tackling Cardinals kick returner Devin Duvernay at midfield on a 40-yard kickoff return. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 What was your process like for nailing the Newfoundland accent? — William Earl, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 Coach was in a no-win situation and took the tie rather than the loss by staying focused and nailing the interview. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 What did weigh on Nordrum’s mind, however, was nailing an English accent. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 Inside, Kaylee is eager to prove herself by really learning laundry and nailing it; Fraser advises her to come up with a system and stick to it. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailing

Verb

Antetokounmpo was everywhere, throwing a down a poster dunk over Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, hitting pull-up threes and assisting on a bunch of the Heat’s three-pointers.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Each draw is tied to Anthropic hitting certain compute capacity milestones.

— Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

Moghadam also said that Tehran would study the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement that includes Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey before deciding whether to support it, describing it as a potential instrument for unity.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Florida voters are deciding whether to pass a constitutional amendment that would lower property taxes for some — but not all — homeowners by raising the state’s homestead tax exemption.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of deciding

Verb

Rashida Jones and Will McCormack wrote the screenplay for the film that follows two couples at a dinner party that turns into an unpredictable evening exposing messy relationships and desires.

— Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, companies like 1Password are adding new systems for approving agent log ins without exposing user passwords.

— Marty Swant, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of exposing

Verb

Spotting symptoms early is a key factor in treating victims and in arresting the spread of this extremely contagious disease, according to health experts.

— Michelle A. Williams, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Sacramento police have also received criticism for arresting protesters in recent months, including the detainment two protesters in September that was recorded on video.

— Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of arresting

Verb

Over recent years, ambitious and headline-grabbing solutions to transportation problems have been unveiled in South Florida, from vertical jet ports to autonomous vehicles.

— Sofia Zarran, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Bailey kicked off the Lakers’ opening night by matching her powerful voice with an equally attention-grabbing shoe.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

Austin has spent her evenings the last few weeks knocking on voters’ doors, arguing for the cause.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
In June, before the summer rains return, people gather saguaro fruit, knocking it from towering cacti with a kuipad, a long pole made of saguaro ribs, then dry the protein-rich seeds and make jam from the fruit.

— Tovar Cerulli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of knocking

Verb

The confirmation comes a week after Puck News reported that Jay-Z had decided to take the gig himself after an extended period of determining who would follow Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2026
The case remained open for nearly nine years until earlier this year, when the Paulding County Sheriff's Office officially closed it, determining her death was a suicide.

— La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of determining

Verb

Directed by Kei Oikawa and adapted from the popular manga by Nagano, the fantasy feature tracks the small protagonist and companions journeying to a scenic coastal island before uncovering a sinister local mystery.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
These metaphors take on fresh force at a museum whose collection contains so many mosaics and so many textiles, and which is increasingly dedicated to uncovering the personal stories of their makers.

— Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026