nail

verb

Definition of nailnext
1
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner the boxer nailed his opponent with a devastating left hook

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2
as in to decide
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 to expose
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
4
as in to arrest
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
5
as in to grab
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 nail Soon, though, Sutskever also catches the eye of Altman and his partner Elon Musk (an amusing Ike Barinholtz, nailing him). — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026 As for those celebrities who have nailed the long-hair-don’t-care look, well, there are plenty of them. — Hannah Coates, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026 Anderson’s collaboration with this gifted young man nails the one thing that every great concert movie tries gift to those who could not be there for the original moment. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026 Did director Michael Showalter just nail the Colleen Hoover adaptation? — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail
  1. hit
  2. decide
  3. expose
  4. arrest
  5. grab
  6. knock
  7. determine
  8. uncover
Verb
  • Residential real estate prices may hit a bottom in the third quarter of 2028, the report said.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • For Fleabag and The Tourist producer Two Brothers, the show is the first hitting the international market since its parent, All3Media, was acquired by Banijay.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of hit
Verb
  • After seeing information about the National Day of Action online, Isabel Montano, a junior studying philosophy and economics, decided to take action at SIUE.
    — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Brands need to decide which trends resonate, which ones make sense to capitalize on and make a new product launch or an entire franchise and which to let go and pass over.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of decide
Verb
  • One thing that the company promotes are summits on different teams, so you can get exposed to different areas of the business, which is a great opportunity to upskill yourself and then share your learnings and knowledge with other people.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The breach has prompted a global investigation, with experts warning that information about agents and their families could expose them to extortion, swatting and other harassment.
    — Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of expose
Verb
  • Choudri also made headlines earlier this year after the authority put him on leave after police arrested him at his Folsom home following a fight between his daughter and fiancée.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • In 2019, Italian police arrested three people in a scheme to sell at least 11,000 counterfeit bottles of Tignanello in Italy, Germany and Belgium, labeled as 2009, 2010 and 2011 vintages but filled with low-quality wine.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrest
Verb
  • Ditto for the reinterpretation of thong sandals that grabbed attention at Givenchy and Jean Paul Gaultier, or the clear vinyl-like styles seen at Balenciaga, Chloé, Simone Rocha, Stella McCartney and Moschino, among others.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Mel Ismail, a 56-year-old father, was rescued by another surfer who just happened to show up at the beach and was willing to risk his own life by grabbing his board and heading towards the bloody water.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • The fans were ready to rock, but the Guardians knocked the Sox on their backs.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The 22-year-old emerged from the woods Wednesday evening after a six-day disappearance and knocked on the driver’s side window of a search-and-rescue cruiser.
    — Angie Orellana Hernandez, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of knock
Verb
  • The team was also able to determine the mass of both bodies in ZTF J0440+2325.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Reaveys spent Callum’s early years performing their own intensive physical and speech therapies with him, determined their son would roll over, crawl, and learn to say his name.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of determine
Verb
  • Gowanus is hardly the only postindustrial New York neighborhood rife with toxic waste — in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, the extent of toxic contamination is still being uncovered and mitigated in an ad hoc fashion.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Since then, the 16-foot-by-32-foot church has been reconstructed, after archaeologists in 2021 uncovered the church’s original foundation, as well as 62 graves linked to the congregation.
    — Nancy Jiang, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncover

Phrases Containing nail

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naïfs
nail
nail-biter
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Cite this Entry

“Nail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nail

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