to nail
71
1.0
- verb
- /neɪl/
- I thought you might look in the boxes before l nail them shut.
- nailed together
- nailed to the wall
- nailed to the cross
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Watch on YouTubeI can't even imagine the manufacturing process for nailing these pieces.
- I can't even imagine the manufacturing process for nailing these pieces.
- I for me, you know, all right, I'm going to nail my flag to the mast here.
- No, we use two by fours as the braces of this thing and like nailed them together.
Examples
-
"Actually, all he had done was to nail a sheet of plywood over the bad part."
Fiction book (1991) -
And now I'm going to nail it into the foundation.
-
You nailed the door shut!
-
You have a pulley that is nailed into place on a wall.
-
We can see these pieces of wood that have been glued and nailed in an attempt to hold this split together.
-
By working all day, he was able to finish nailing in the floor joists.
Fiction book (1990) -
Four brick buildings were padlocked, with boards nailed over their windows.
Academic text (2007) -
After a week of sanding, gluing, and nailing the sculpture, one half of the boat was finally complete.
Academic text (2008) -
If blowing the keyhole didn't open the door, it was because it was nailed shut, not locked.
Fiction book (1990) -
To build the shelf, you will need to measure the wood and nail the pieces together securely.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To attach something to a surface or push it into with a point
167
1.0
To fasten something with a small pointed object
107
1.8
Stay attached to a surface
73
1.6
Hold something in place so it cannot move
38
1.0
To fasten things together using a small metal or plastic device
35
3.7
To attach papers together with a small bent metal wire
7
3.6
To attach something to a wall or board with a pin
5
5.4
To fasten something to a surface with a small nail or pin
5
2.0
To fasten something using a small pin
1
9.5
To join two pieces of wood by driving a nail at an angle through one into the other
1
9.1
To fasten thin pieces of wood with small nails
1
8.4
To drive a nail at an angle into wood to make a stronger hold
Antonyms
Idioms
People criticize and pressure those who stand out to be like everyone else
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
50
1.8
A colored or clear paint you put on fingernails and toenails to give them color and shine
- Informal
6
5.2
A situation that makes people very nervous because the result is uncertain
- Informal
3
4.2
Making you feel very nervous and excited while you wait to see what happens
- UK
1
2.7
A colored or clear liquid you put on nails to make them look shiny and protect them
- Specialized
1
6.4
A nail about three inches long used for holding pieces of wood together
- Offensive
1
9.9
Taking out a person's fingernails or toenails to hurt them during torture
- Specialized
A small metal pin about one and a half inches long that holds pieces of wood together
- Australian
A small kangaroo-like animal with a hard nail at the tip of its tail
- Specialized
A thin metal strip with sharp points that you hammer to join wooden boards
How Firmly
Surface Forms
Etymology
Nail as a verb meaning 'to fasten with a nail' comes directly from the metal nail, so to 'nail' something is to drive a hard point into it to hold it in place.