DRILLING Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

drilling 1 of 2

verb (1)

Definition of drilling

present participle of drill

as in piercing

to make a hole or series of holes in the nerve-jangling sound when a dentist drills a tooth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shooting

to strike with a missile from a gun drilled the target from 100 yards away

Synonyms & Similar Words

drilling

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of drill

as in planting

to put or set into the ground to grow he drills soybeans in the same rows with corn

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 drilling

Verb

The goal scorer then took an artful first touch before drilling it home. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026 Haji says their mine avoids these issues by drilling above the water level. — Ari Sen, Scientific American, 13 June 2026 Although the video does include a rig that involves drilling a mast beam (or thwart) into the canoe’s upper hull edge ( or gunwales), there is also a route that instead uses clamps. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026 These pulses fracture and soften the rock, allowing drilling to proceed much faster while significantly extending drill bit life. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 June 2026 Paramount also must win the approval of British and European regulators, who are known for drilling deeply into media matters because of their influence on society. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 The crisis was certainly good for oil companies, but the really booming corner of the business was trading, not drilling; European majors outshone their US competitors in first-quarter earnings because of their robust trading desks. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 18 June 2026 SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told CNBC on June 12, when the company went public, that SpaceX planned to build pipelines and process its own propellant, and was looking into drilling its own natural gas. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026 About 25,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the Los Angeles River on May 22 after construction crews damaged a 16-inch pipeline while drilling for a fiber optic line near Cesar Chavez and Eastern Avenues, according to AQMD. — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 18 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drilling

Verb

Granite cliffs piercing the sea and the sky are Acadia National Park’s most recognizable feature.

— Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Her flat, piercing groundstrokes and booming serve are perfect for grass, and defending champion Świątek will need to calm down her serving roller coaster to stay in touch.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of piercing

Verb

As a bonus, those seasons are ideal for planting a replacement shrub or re-establishing a lawn if it is damaged during the shrub removal.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 July 2026
Daugherty recommends planting various evergreens to provide food and shelter for birds over the winter.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 5 July 2026

Definition of planting

Verb

Halty embraces the way Senda Athletics is punching above its weight as a sportswear brand in a tournament full of global brands and stars.

— Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
An impromptu blind date with a handsome rapist ends with Esther punching him square in the nose, his blood gushing through her fingers.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026

Definition of punching

Verb

Corky Quirk, who founded the local rescue organization NorCal Bats, previously said the colony was well over 20 years old when Sacramento started plugging up bat entrances in the fall of 2025.

— Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
Today, implementing standards and plugging these gaps is the province of compliance.

— Lisa Umberger, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Definition of plugging

Verb

Careful consideration of cover crop species selection and drone seeding timing will improve drone seeding success.

— Nora Doonan, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Previous cloud-seeding controversies Cloud seeding is now at the center of the rise in weather‑control conspiracy narratives after disasters, such as the tragic Texas floods of 2025 that killed dozens of people, many of them children.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 27 June 2026

Definition of seeding

Verb

Additionally, the company is offering a non-alcoholic beverage aptly named the Firework Fizz, which launched June 25 and has strawberry popping boba for a festive effect.

— Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Social media campaigns are popping up online, urging women to place their bets on sites like Kalshi and Polymarket.

— Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 1 July 2026

Definition of popping

Browse Nearby Words

drillers

drilling

drillmaster

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Style

“Drilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drilling. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of drilling

verb (1)

verb (2)

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