nail down
phrasal verb
nailed down; nailing down; nails down
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
This latest round is supposed to nail down whether the landfill is the source, but residents at the hearing expressed little confidence in the impartiality of tests ordered by the state.
—
Doug Thompson, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Authorities are working to nail down a timeline of the private couple's final days.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2025
During the six-episode limited series, which debuted on Netflix on Feb. 20, the Zero Day Commission struggles to nail down who is to blame.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 22 Feb. 2025
Olympia’s team struggles to nail down the most damning evidence against Bruno: that his volatile temper led to a public altercation with Tenoch’s soccer coach.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail down
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Doug Thompson, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Authorities are working to nail down a timeline of the private couple's final days.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2025
During the six-episode limited series, which debuted on Netflix on Feb. 20, the Zero Day Commission struggles to nail down who is to blame.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 22 Feb. 2025
Olympia’s team struggles to nail down the most damning evidence against Bruno: that his volatile temper led to a public altercation with Tenoch’s soccer coach.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail down
Cite this Entry
“Nail down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail%20down. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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