drill 1 of 3

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

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2
as in exercise
something done over and over in order to develop skill doing vocabulary drills all afternoon in preparation for the test

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drill

2 of 3

verb (1)

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

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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 drill
Noun
White has dreamed up some very strange and sadistic drills. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 19 Sep. 2025 This might mean changing out your container for one that has drainage holes or adding holes yourself using a drill. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
The demo, held at a granite quarry in Marble Falls, Texas, showed the company’s ability to vaporize rock using high-frequency electromagnetic waves, drilling 387 feet (118 meters) into solid granite without any physical contact. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2025 Next, drill holes following the pattern and place a candle or tea light in the bottom of the can. Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drill
Noun
  • No skin-care routine is ever straightforward—not even an editor’s.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Their Halloween routine will help your child get to know the ins-and-outs of Halloween traditions.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Are students working on real problems or theoretical exercises?
    Jaime Catmull, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • What this all-American guy needs is casual footwear that’s stylish and comfortable, whether for work or walking the dog as his form of exercise, the cofounder explained.
    Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • To escape the grind of the city and re-evaluate his life, Isaiah visits his sister, Jess, and teenage niece, Aurora, in upstate New York for the holidays.
    Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025
  • For many attorneys, the grind of endless deadlines, paperwork, and ungrateful clients can lead to heavy disappointment.
    Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • That sentiment even inspired the name of her practice, Nurtured First.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Others have pointed to Biglari’s practice of hanging his portrait in every Steak ‘n Shake location and the chain’s own financial struggles.
    Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Regular training, auditing, and policy reviews must be in place to minimize risks.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Harvard itself earlier this year announced a Careers in Construction program of training and apprenticeships in the Boston area.
    Liam Knox, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Drill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drill. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

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