1
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
2
as in shooting
to strike with a missile from a gun
drilled the target from 100 yards away
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of drilling
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
2 July 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
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
The goal scorer then took an artful first touch before drilling it home.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
26 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
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
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
Haji says their mine avoids these issues by drilling above the water level.
—
Ari Sen,
Scientific American,
13 June 2026
Verb
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
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
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
The goal scorer then took an artful first touch before drilling it home.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
26 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
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
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
Haji says their mine avoids these issues by drilling above the water level.
—
Ari Sen,
Scientific American,
13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drilling
Verb
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On the other hand, however, take a step back and the world-building is jaw-dropping; on a big screen, Rogue Trooper is almost overwhelming, and Barnard becomes an almost godlike presence by the end with his piercing white eyes (don’t worry, it’s explained).
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If discovering tiny insect casings or sticky residue, this often indicates those insects with piercing and sucking mouthparts that slowly siphon sap from plants, depleting their ability to feed themselves through photosynthesis.
Verb
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The film began shooting on location in Anglesey, North Wales, at the end of June.
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Olivia Wilde says that a drowning scene became a little too real while shooting one of her earliest movies.
Verb
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Water them before planting if the pots have dried out.
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Drones offer a potential alternative cover crop seeding method by enabling interseeding of cover crops, the practice of planting one crop into another crop before harvest.
Verb
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Halty embraces the way Senda Athletics is punching above its weight as a sportswear brand in a tournament full of global brands and stars.
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An impromptu blind date with a handsome rapist ends with Esther punching him square in the nose, his blood gushing through her fingers.
Verb
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Today, implementing standards and plugging these gaps is the province of compliance.
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It’s been so interesting to hear about plugging and abandonment issues from a different perspective.
Verb
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Careful consideration of cover crop species selection and drone seeding timing will improve drone seeding success.
-
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.
Verb
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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.
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Social media campaigns are popping up online, urging women to place their bets on sites like Kalshi and Polymarket.
Cite this Entry
“Drilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drilling. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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