NAILING Synonyms: 248 Similar and Opposite Words

nailing

verb

present participle of nail

as in hitting

to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner the boxer nailed his opponent with a devastating left hook

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in deciding

to make final, definite, or beyond dispute this latest infidelity nails it—I'm filing for divorce

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exposing

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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as in arresting

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

as in grabbing

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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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 nailing Crews used laser levels and temporary adhesive to fix items to the walls, checking their work for accuracy against renderings of the actual office before nailing many adornments to the walls. — Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026 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 The right accessories – aka, your nails – can transform your autumn wardrobes, so nailing (pun intended) the color, shape and art is everything. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 18 Sep. 2026 In last week’s win over Fannin County, McGraw — who is also a standout girls soccer player — was 6-for-6 on extra points and was 1-for-1 on field goals, nailing a 27-yard attempt. — Caitlyn Stroh-Page, AJC.com, 11 Sep. 2026 Knowing how to apply lipstick is one of those essential beauty skills worth mastering, alongside nailing how to apply cream blush and perfecting your base. — Emma-Jade Stoddart, Glamour, 4 Sep. 2026 The San Diego native has started all 24 of UCLA’s games during his two seasons in Westwood, nailing 36 of his 44 field-goal attempts, including five out his nine attempts from at least 50 yards. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 But the point of the Neo is that it eschews frills and frippery in favor of nailing the basics. — ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026 For a team on the edge of the wild-card race, nailing that balance is crucial. — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nailing

Verb

The national Democratic effort to defeat Collins kept going; now the party is spending millions on an ad hitting her for a ProPublica story about her links to a corrupt defense contractor.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Last year in Arizona, a motorcyclist was fatally injured after hitting a Waymo and being flung into the road.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

Atlanta’s rotation got upended during its three-game NL wild-card series win over the Philadelphia Phillies, with the Braves using ace Chris Sale in relief in the deciding game.

— Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
The Braves deployed him Thursday, for the final four outs of the deciding game of the wild-card round.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of deciding

Verb

And Jeremy Allen White is Jeff Horwitz, the Wall Street Journal tech reporter with whom Haugen collaborates on an explosive series of articles informally titled The Facebook Files, exposing the toxic culture behind the company’s stratospheric reach.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Prier said the city was failing residents and exposing itself to a lawsuit by not providing adequate court access.

— Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of exposing

Verb

Yet when journalists began reporting on the grand jury report, Uthmeier talked about arresting them … for asking questions.

— Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Investigators interviewed Williams on Tuesday before arresting him and taking him to the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of arresting

Verb

The catalyst was a headline-grabbing second-quarter loss of $154 million that likely sent trading algorithms to hit the sell button.

— Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Lopez then attacked Hager, grabbing his holster, and the two men fought over the deputy’s service weapon, according to the arrest report.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

For the hearing impaired, select rooms feature visual fire alarms plus signals for telephone ringing and door knocking.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Political handicapping has a way of knocking people down a couple of notches.

— Nathan Gonzales CQ-Roll Call, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of knocking

Verb

The organization is helping provide fliers the family can use to canvas the area and will serve as a conduit with law enforcement while determining what other assistance the family needs.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Leaders and teams can then participate in developing practical solutions while the organization establishes clear measures for determining whether those changes are producing a different employee experience.

— Gwen Mdinaradze, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of determining

Verb

That year, the winner was Dutch physical chemist Jacobus Henricus van’t Hoff for his work uncovering how chemicals interact with each other in solutions.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
This format travels across the country uncovering uplifting, emotional and often surprising stories of pets, their owners and the veterinary professionals dedicated to their care.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026