tooth and nail

adverb

Definition of tooth and nailnext
as in full steam ahead
with all power or resources being used I'll fight tooth and nail to win the finals

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 tooth and nail People could have been fighting tooth and nail to keep me from being there. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 26 May 2026 Mo was always going to fight tooth and nail, no matter what. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 25 May 2026 The biggest question may ultimately be whether Disney and ABC fight tooth and nail or make concessions to Carr. — ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026 The film is the true story of John Tuggle, the last pick in the 1983 NFL Draft by the New York Giants who fought tooth and nail to make the team, the first final draft pick to do so, and would go on to win Special Teams Player of the Year. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tooth and nail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tooth and nail
all out
Adverb
  • This became an all out crisis when almost 50,000 migrant children unexpectedly arrived in our public schools in 2023 and 2024, and many schools lacked staff who could communicate with these children.
    — Lincoln Restler, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
  • The two Lionels, Scaloni and Messi, being capable of containing their emotions and looking calm until the final whistle, then letting it all out.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of all out

Browse Nearby Words

toothaches
tooth and nail
toothsome
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Cite this Entry

“Tooth and nail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tooth%20and%20nail. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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