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
In addition to cleaning up the beer itself, nailing the flavor was another hurdle.
—
James Manso, Footwear News, 8 May 2026
As a result of losing his cool in a 10-3 loss and nailing Story, Valdez was suspended for six games, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Bolton took The Associated Press through the exhibit late last week as a huge team of installers was busy hammering, nailing, posing and otherwise adjusting the 400 items on display.
—Jocelyn Noveck, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
This blouse gets it right for petite shoppers, nailing the proportions with a restrained sleeve and a sleeker fit through the body.
—Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Suspenseful and tense, the best sci-fi thriller movies are focused on nailing these themes.
—Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026
On petite frames, these hit a little lower on the thigh, nailing this season’s Bermuda shorts trend without swallowing shorter legs.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026
White was an integral component off the bench for the Hornets in his 23 appearances, and etched himself into franchise lore by nailing the game-tying bucket to help lift the Hornets over the Miami Heat in the opening round of the play-in tournament.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Suggs missed his first eight shots before nailing a 3-pointer from the corner for an 85-80 lead.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
James Manso, Footwear News, 8 May 2026
As a result of losing his cool in a 10-3 loss and nailing Story, Valdez was suspended for six games, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Bolton took The Associated Press through the exhibit late last week as a huge team of installers was busy hammering, nailing, posing and otherwise adjusting the 400 items on display.
—Jocelyn Noveck, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
This blouse gets it right for petite shoppers, nailing the proportions with a restrained sleeve and a sleeker fit through the body.
—Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Suspenseful and tense, the best sci-fi thriller movies are focused on nailing these themes.
—Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026
On petite frames, these hit a little lower on the thigh, nailing this season’s Bermuda shorts trend without swallowing shorter legs.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026
White was an integral component off the bench for the Hornets in his 23 appearances, and etched himself into franchise lore by nailing the game-tying bucket to help lift the Hornets over the Miami Heat in the opening round of the play-in tournament.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Suggs missed his first eight shots before nailing a 3-pointer from the corner for an 85-80 lead.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailing
Verb
-
Kay, meanwhile, rebounded after a first inning filled with traffic — two singles and hitting a batter with a pitch — to top his previous career high of 5 2/3 innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
As Kelsey Luderer rounded third base and headed home Thursday after hitting a game-tying home run that ignited Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to a 6-3 Division 1 softball playoff win over Anaheim Canyon, she was greeted by every teammate at the plate.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
When a new customer is deciding between two similar products, the design can be a tiebreaker.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
Sometimes, the hardest part of making dinner is deciding what to make.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
As her lie begins to unravel, her hunger for validation spirals into something far darker, drawing a devastated father into a desperate search and exposing a culture more obsessed with spectacle than consequence.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Several towns split their votes between Lamont and Elliott, exposing a bitter divide within the state’s party over whether Connecticut should turn in a more progressive direction.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
After arresting the man, the complaint says police found a black iPhone tucked between the driver's seat and the center console in his car.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
The movie fumbles the chance to do something arresting with this seminal period in art.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The driver who picked up the goods told FT that grabbing items in the location takes roughly five minutes, while the same trip to a Walmart Supercenter store could take 25 minutes.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
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The Limitless Lash Mascara is especially worth grabbing while it’s marked down.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Video posted online by Kol Haolam News shows the Honda backing up and then driving into the pair of double doors, knocking one door off its hinges.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
-
The puck had just slipped through Poehling’s skates when McNabb crunched Poehling into the boards, knocking him out for the rest of the game and prompting an official review.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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By finding your allies, defining the goals and determining working integration states, any IT department can successfully migrate its IT and improve its digital sovereignty.—
Kevin Korte,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Investment bankers and takeover artists took a leading role in determining which companies would be sold, merged, or broken apart.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Ultimately, the team’s work resulted in uncovering documentary evidence of more than 1,000 incidents of ghost voting, forgery and other forms of vote fraud.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Advertisement Marie discovers this information after uncovering that her daughter was having an affair with a married man.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nailing. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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