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
Claims of being able to nail down an exact date and time are spurious and carry with them a huge amount of uncertainty.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
To nail down the tense emotions needed, Wang’s instinct was to dive right in, no practice required, while Chen took a more seasoned approach.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
Though the proposal attempts to nail down an implementation mechanism, the failure to fully implement the U.N. resolution after the 2006 war could point to difficulties in getting the sides to uphold a sustainable cease-fire that would bring long-term quiet.
—Tia Goldenberg and Kareem Chehayeb, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
In Mendy's absence, Fran Garcia is likely to earn further starting prominence and get a chance to nail down the left back spot heading into 2025 at the same time that Madrid looks likely to miss out on Alphonso Davies come June 30 when the Canadian's Bayern Munich contract expires.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nail down 
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.
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
To nail down the tense emotions needed, Wang’s instinct was to dive right in, no practice required, while Chen took a more seasoned approach.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
Though the proposal attempts to nail down an implementation mechanism, the failure to fully implement the U.N. resolution after the 2006 war could point to difficulties in getting the sides to uphold a sustainable cease-fire that would bring long-term quiet.
—Tia Goldenberg and Kareem Chehayeb, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
In Mendy's absence, Fran Garcia is likely to earn further starting prominence and get a chance to nail down the left back spot heading into 2025 at the same time that Madrid looks likely to miss out on Alphonso Davies come June 30 when the Canadian's Bayern Munich contract expires.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nail down
Dictionary Entries Near nail down
Cite this Entry
“Nail down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail%20down. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share