NAILS Synonyms: 243 Similar and Opposite Words

nails

verb

present tense third-person singular of nail

as in bangs

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 decides

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 exposes

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 arrests

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 grabs

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 nails And then there’s the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, which basically nails the federal government for not consulting with the county or state on the project. — Nick Bhasin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026 Most anti-theft bags lean practical first and stylish second, but this Vantamo crescent bag nails both equally. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2026 Below, find the best of the trending, minimalist ’90s nails to see you through summer into fall, and the pictures to show your nail artist. — Lorena Meouchi, Vogue, 23 July 2026 Either way, Ettika nails this jewelry trend with this three-piece layered necklace. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 22 July 2026 Amenities and experiences Faraway nails the details and has thought of all of the mountain necessities. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026 Greece nails oodles of desirable attributes, according to Henley & Partners, a company that provides residence and citizenship planning. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 14 July 2026 This is the sort of pure 1980s batshit monologue that prompts both oh-my-Lord gasps and howls of laughter, and Neill nails the whole thing. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026 Spooky enough for Halloween and colorful enough for summer, this nails the summerween balance. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nails

Verb

Especially the guy who bangs a wrecking ball against the historic East Wing to make room for an incongruous ballroom monstrosity, who mars the sacred Oval Office with gold glitter and paves over the lovely Rose Garden.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
When selecting the perfect of-the-moment style for you (Jane Birkin bangs?

— Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 8 June 2026

Definition of bangs

Verb

Written and directed by Achyuth Vinayak, the film released in theaters in 2023, following a couple whose plan to elope is complicated when the man’s sister decides to elope as well.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
For high-volume production workloads, coding agents, document processing and customer operations that differential decides the purchase order.

— Mark Minevich, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of decides

Verb

The International Maritime Organization has biofouling guidelines, but the scale of the current disruption exposes gaps in rules designed around routine shipping rather than mass, unplanned vessel lay-ups.

— Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Splashing down in the ocean exposes the spacecraft’s engines, stainless steel structure, and sensitive electronics to the corrosive effects of salt water.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of exposes

Verb

Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.

— Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026

Definition of arrests

Verb

Experience may open the door, but character is often what determines how far someone ultimately goes.

— Hao Lam, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
The statute of limitations determines how long a debt collector generally has to sue you over a debt, and the timeline varies by state and type of debt.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of determines

Verb

Set against a conflict that transformed the Horn of Africa, the film uncovers a story with universal relevance—where literature became a battlefield and a writer paid the ultimate price.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
For companies without a data retention plan, a thorough data inventory often uncovers personal information that has been accumulating across systems for years.

— Jodi Daniels, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026