nail down

verb

nailed down; nailing down; nails down
Synonyms of nail downnext
1
: to make (something, such as a victory) certain to happen
They need to score another touchdown to nail down the victory.
2
: to find out or identify (something) exactly
Her doctors haven't yet been able to nail down a diagnosis.
They're trying to nail down the cause of our network problems.
3
: to make (something) definite or final
nail down a decision

Examples of nail down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
After nailing down a center, Pelinka also needs to really hit on the margins. — Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026 Nor is Liam, an itinerant drifter who juggles whatever trade is on offer but perhaps hasn’t nailed down any single one of them. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 June 2026 The Lorimer Burst and others like it are now called Fast Radio Bursts, and adding to the irony, astronomers are still trying to nail down their origins today. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 26 June 2026 There’s no tricky transportation to nail down, no difficult dinner reservations to secure, and far less coordinating and decision-making to argue over. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nail down

Rhymes for nail down

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Browse Nearby Words

nailbrush
nail down
nailed shoe
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Cite this Entry

“Nail down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail%20down. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nail down

Nglish: Translation of nail down for Spanish Speakers

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