Synonyms of drill

drill 1 of 3

noun

1

as in routine

an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity

shuttling the kids between extracurricular activities is all part of the suburban drill

Synonyms & Similar Words

• routine
• grind
• groove
• rut
• pattern
• rote
• treadmill
• technique
• lockstep
• practice
• habit
• method
• strategy
• program
• plan
• procedure
• regimen
• approach
• tradition
• trick
• tack
• style
• housekeeping
• custom
• scheme
• design
• policy
• manner
• daily dozen
• way
• fashion
• wont
• convention

2

as in exercise

something done over and over in order to develop skill

doing vocabulary drills all afternoon in preparation for the test

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exercise
• practice
• training
• lesson
• workout
• routine
• homework
• assignment
• refresher
• brushup
• review

drill

2 of 3

verb (1)

ˈdril 

1

as in to pierce

to make a hole or series of holes in

the nerve-jangling sound when a dentist drills a tooth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pierce
• punch
• hole
• poke
• bore
• puncture
• perforate
• tap
• cut
• penetrate
• riddle
• excavate
• break
• broach
• hollow
• split
• prick
• slash
• slit
• gouge
• groove
• burrow (into)
• rupture
• rend
• notch
• prickle
• gash

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fill
• patch
• seal
• plug

2

as in to shoot

to strike with a missile from a gun

drilled the target from 100 yards away

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shoot
• gun
• pop
• plug
• kill
• drop
• destroy
• slay
• slaughter
• blow away
• fire (at)
• bring down
• shoot down
• pick off
• blast (at)
• pepper
• machine-gun
• butcher
• massacre
• wipe out
• snipe (at)
• shotgun
• dispatch
• blaze
• pistol
• ice
• fell
• potshot
• blot out
• decimate
• annihilate
• tommy-gun
• croak
• do in

drill

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to plant

to put or set into the ground to grow

he drills soybeans in the same rows with corn

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plant
• put in
• seed
• sow
• bed
• replant
• broadcast
• transplant
• pot
• scatter
• reseed
• overseed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gather
• reap
• harvest

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of drill

Noun

Christie stopped play repeatedly to make his players run the drill again, urging them to make good passes and hit shots. — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Quaise Energy is turning to hardware developed for fusion reactors to help drill into some of Earth’s hottest underground rock without conventional drill bits. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026

Verb

Rivera also maintains that another purpose of the consulting agreement was a commercial effort to persuade Exxon to resume drilling for oil in Venezuela. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026

As his colleagues look on, Brunson, in his desk chair, drills the shot across the room. — William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2026