1
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
2
as in deciding
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 exposing
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nailing
Second baseman Donovan Walton made a nice pick of catcher Sebastian Rivero’s throw in the dirt, nailing a runner stealing second.
—
Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 8 Mar. 2026
Antiques and Collections Antiques are a must for nailing this look.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2026
Julian Champagnie wasn’t far behind his teammate, nailing five 3s.
—Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
With so little margin for error, there is huge pressure on nailing the transition of equipment.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Frostad did so by nailing the nose butter — but with a physics-defying twist of his own — on all three of his jumps of a snowy freeskiing nail-biter on the big hill Tuesday night.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
There's just no nailing him down whatsoever.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Feb. 2026
Or at least nailing it with such bold definition.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Shtanhei adds that preparation is key for nailing this shiny yet simple look.
—Alexis Berger, InStyle, 15 Feb. 2026
Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 8 Mar. 2026
Antiques and Collections Antiques are a must for nailing this look.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2026
Julian Champagnie wasn’t far behind his teammate, nailing five 3s.
—Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
With so little margin for error, there is huge pressure on nailing the transition of equipment.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Frostad did so by nailing the nose butter — but with a physics-defying twist of his own — on all three of his jumps of a snowy freeskiing nail-biter on the big hill Tuesday night.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
There's just no nailing him down whatsoever.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Feb. 2026
Or at least nailing it with such bold definition.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Shtanhei adds that preparation is key for nailing this shiny yet simple look.
—Alexis Berger, InStyle, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailing
Verb
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Separately, emergency crews in Oman are battling a fire at fuel storage tanks, after a social media video geolocated by CNN appeared to show an Iranian drone hitting a tank at the port.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Another officer returned fire, hitting Rivera twice.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sarr, in contrast, was a 6-foot-8 sparkplug during Duke’s game-deciding run, punctuated by a full-court steal-and-slam that caused Blue Devil fans to erupt and forced Davis to call a timeout.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Insurers, not doctors, are increasingly deciding when and how patients receive cancer treatment.—
Alex Mejia Garcia,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The scars of the past become painfully visible during a dam drawdown, exposing a graveyard of cypress trees that didn’t survive the inundation of water.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
-
San Diego County military bases have failed to provide proper shelter and care for many of their working canines, periodically exposing the dogs to extreme weather and potential infections, according to a new report by the Inspector General of the Department of Defense.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Casa Malca remains one of the most visually arresting addresses right on the beach, with 70 suites.—
Gina Góngora,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
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Our Top Picks Nordic Knots’s elegant Scandinavian style (and penchant for arresting patterns) have made their rugs a hot commodity among design lovers like the AD team since their inception in 2016.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Wembanyama had back-to-back dunks in the second quarter, including grabbing his own miss and throwing it down for what became a three-point play on a foul by Javonte Green.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Brigham is also charged with assaulting a man by grabbing and twisting his genitals.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Canadarm was used for spacewalking, several Hubble Space Telescope missions and some impromptu maneuvers such as knocking an ice plug off a frozen shuttle drain line, according to NASA.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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Return to New York when Broadway comes knocking.—
Charlie Hobbs,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now the focus has shifted to determining the criminal responsibility of other high-ranking former officials, including several former health ministers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Similarly, there are tools that can look over a biopsy and assist a pathologist in determining how aggressive of a cancer a patient has.—
Emily Brindley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When archaeologists began uncovering ancient statues many centuries after their creation, there was often little sign that they had ever been painted.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Mar. 2026
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The indie follows a pair of siblings who discover a disturbing secret surrounding their Texas town after uncovering a cache of mysterious video clips.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nailing. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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