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
Uncertainty on the Colorado River has made those numbers difficult to nail down, Campbell said.
—
Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
Democrats have begun their biannual tradition of biting their nails down to the cuticles, a level of nervousness some in the party said falls short of a true reflection of Harris' chances.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024
Named for the Catholic charity function of the same name held in New York City, this episode sees Vinick and Santos dancing around each other, trying to nail down debate rules, and doing their best to balance their own pro-choice positions against some very pro-life potential supporters.
—Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2024
The Act took several years to nail down, largely because of a controversy over whether energy policy should favor fossil fuels or solar and wind power.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 1 Nov. 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.
Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
Democrats have begun their biannual tradition of biting their nails down to the cuticles, a level of nervousness some in the party said falls short of a true reflection of Harris' chances.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024
Named for the Catholic charity function of the same name held in New York City, this episode sees Vinick and Santos dancing around each other, trying to nail down debate rules, and doing their best to balance their own pro-choice positions against some very pro-life potential supporters.
—Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2024
The Act took several years to nail down, largely because of a controversy over whether energy policy should favor fossil fuels or solar and wind power.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 1 Nov. 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 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share