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Synonyms for nail down
| Grammar : Noun |
| Spell : neyl |
| Phonetic Transcription : neɪl |
Définition of nail down
Origin :- Old English negel "metal pin," nægl "fingernail (handnægl), toenail," from Proto-Germanic *naglaz (cf. Old Norse nagl "fingernail," nagli "metal nail;" Old Saxon and Old High German nagel, Old Frisian neil, Middle Dutch naghel, Dutch nagel, German Nagel "fingernail, small metal spike"), from PIE root *(o)nogh "nail" (cf. Greek onyx "claw, fingernail;" Latin unguis "nail, claw;" Old Church Slavonic noga "foot," noguti "nail, claw;" Lithuanian naga "hoof," nagutis "fingernail;" Old Irish ingen, Old Welsh eguin "nail, claw").
- The "fingernail" sense seems to be the original one. Nail polish attested from 1891. To bite one's nails as a sign of anxiety is attested from 1570s. Nail-biting is from 1805. Hard as nails is from 1828. To hit the nail on the head "say or do just the right thing" is first recorded 1520s. Phrase on the nail "on the spot, exactly" is from 1590s, of obscure origin; OED says it is not even certain it belongs to this sense of nail.
- noun establish conclusively
- Oh, it caught on a nail down at the boathouse, and a piece was ripped off.
- Extract from : « The Eight-Oared Victors » by Lester Chadwick
- Nothing you could nail down, at first, but growing month by month.
- Extract from : « Martyr » by Alan Edward Nourse
- The error—if error there was—was subtle and hard to nail down.
- Extract from : « Comrade Yetta » by Albert Edwards
- "Nail down every dollar," said Jack, and we all were busy with our nailing.
- Extract from : « Neighbours » by Robert Stead
- Surprised at this, he laid the nail down on the ink-slab while he went out to ask whence the letter had come.
- Extract from : « Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (Volumes I and II) » by Songling Pu
- But Jane had the last board and found it much easier to nail down than the first girl did.
- Extract from : « The Woodcraft Girls at Camp » by Lillian Elizabeth Roy
- The laths are easy to nail down and then the paper goes over that, you know.
- Extract from : « Girl Scouts at Dandelion Camp » by Lillian Elizabeth Roy
- I recovered just as the people were about to nail down the hatches; perceiving which, I desired them to stop.
- Extract from : « The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African » by Olaudah Equiano
- But, if you go bothering, I'll put it in your bed, and it'll do after to nail down your coffin.
- Extract from : « The Battle Of The Strong, Complete » by Gilbert Parker
- However, before you nail down the lid and put on the roof, you will need to understand the mechanism.
- Extract from : « Toy-Making at Home » by Morley Adams
Words or expressions associated with your search
- back down
- backdown
- backing down
- backing downs
- bare down
- batten down
- batten down the hatches
- battened down
- be bogged down
- be down and out
- be down in mouth
- be down in the mouth
- be down mouth
- be down on
- be down the mouth
- bear down
- bear down on
- beat down
- bed down
- bend down
- bog down
- boil down
- boiled down
- bolt down
- boogie down
- bow down
- bow down to
- bowing down
- bowl down
- break down
- breakdown
- bring down
- bring one down
- broken-down
- brought down
- buckle down
- button down
- buttoned down
- call down
- call-down
- call downs
- called down
- calling down
- calling downs
- calls down
- calm down
- calmed down
- came down
- came down hard on
- came down with
- cast-down
- cast down
- casting down
- casts down
- chips are down
- chop down
- chow down
- close down
- coffin nail
- come down
- come down hard on
- come down on
- comedown
- cool down
- countdown
- crack down
- crack down on
- cry down
- cut down
- cut down to size
- cutting down to size
- cutting downs
- deep down
- deep-down
- deepdown
- die down
- dig down
- down
- down and out
- down-and-out
- down-at-heel
- down for the count
- down home
- down in the mouth
- down memory lane
- down on
- down payment
- down the drain
- down to earth
- down-to-earth
- down with
- downbeat
- downcast
- downcome
- downer
- downfall
- downgrade
- downhearted
- downheartedness
- downhill
- downlink
- download
- downpour
- downright
- downside
- downsize
- downstairs
- downthrow
- downtime
- downtrodden
- downward
- downy
- drag down
- dressing-down
- drop down
- dying down
- eiderdown
- face down
- faced down
- faces down
- facing down
- fall down
- fall down on
- falls down
- far down
- fell down
- fingernail
- force down
- gat down basics
- gat down knee
- gat down on knee
- gat down on one knee
- gat down one knee
- gave low down
- gave low-down
- gave the low down
- gave the low-down
- get down
- get down cold
- get down knee
- get down on knee
- get down on knees
- get down on one knee
- get down one knee
- get down pat
- get down to basics
- get down to brass tacks
- get downs
- get it down
- get lowdown on
- gets down on knee
- gets down on one knee
- gets down one knee
- getting down knee
- getting down on knee
- getting down on one knee
- getting down one knee
- give thumbs down
- go down
- go-down
- go down swinging
- go down the line for
- go downhill
- goes down
- gulp down
- gulping down
- gulps down
- gun down
- gunned down
- hand down
- hand-me-down
- hand me down
- hand-me-downs
- handed-down
- handed down
- handing down
- hands down
- hang down
- hanged down
- hanging down
- hangs down
- hard as nail
- hard as nails
- hard-as-nails
- have down pat
- held down
- hoedown
- hold down
- hunker down
- hunt down
- jerk and down
- jerk up and down
- jerked up down
- jerking and down
- jerks down
- jerks up down
- jot down
- jots down
- jotted down
- jotting down
- jump down one's throat
- jump down one throat
- jump down ones throat
- jump down throat
- jumped down one's throat
- jumped down ones throat
- jumping down one's throat
- jumping down one throat
- jumping down ones throat
- jumps down one's throat
- jumps down one throat
- jumps down ones throat
- keep down
- keep it down
- keeps down
- kick down the ladder
- kick downstairs
- kip down
- knock down
- knock down and drag out
- knock-down-drag-out
- knock-down drag-out
- knock down drag out
- knock down drag outs
- knock down price
- knockdown
- knockdowns
- knocking down
- knocking downs
- knuckle down
- knuckle down to
- knuckled down to
- knuckling down to
- laid down
- laid down law
- laid down the law
- landowner
- lay down
- lay down and roll over
- lay down arms
- lay down job
- lay down law
- lay it down
- laying down
- laying down law
- laying down the law
- laying downs
- laying it down
- lays down
- lays down law
- lays down the law
- let down
- let-down
- let down easy
- let down hair
- let downs
- let-downs
- let hair down
- let one hair down
- let one's hair down
- let ones hair down
- letdown
- lets hair down
- lets one hair down
- lets one's hair down
- lets ones hair down
- letted hair down
- letted one hair down
- letted one's hair down
- letted ones hair down
- letting down
- letting hair down
- letting one hair down
- letting one's hair down
- letting ones hair down
- lie down
- lie down on job
- live down
- look down
- look down on
- look up and down
- low-down
- low-down dirty
- lowdown
- lowdown and dirty
- lying down
- mark down
- mow down
- nail
- nail-biting
- nail-bitings
- nail bitings
- nail claw
- nail down
- nail file
- nail it
- nail it down
- nail to a cross
- nail to cross
- nailbitings
- nailed
- nailed down
- nailed it
- nailing down
- nailing it
- nails down
- nails it
- nails it down
- narrow down
- narrowed down
- narrowing down
- narrows down
- nervous breakdown
- not tied down
- note down
- noted down
- notes down
- noting down
- nuclear meltdown accident
- on a downer
- on the nail
- pare down
- paring down
- paring downs
- pass down
- passes down
- pat down
- pay down
- peg down
- pin down
- pipe down
- play down
- plop down
- pull down
- put-down
- put down as
- put down for
- put down roots
- put foot down
- put one's foot down
- quiet down
- quieted down
- quieting down
- quiets down
- ram down one's throat
- ram down one throat
- ram down throat
- ramming down ones throat
- rams down throat
- ran down
- rubbing-down
- rubdown
- run down
- run-down
- rundown
- running down
- scarf down
- scrooch down
- sell down the river
- set down
- settle down
- shake-down
- shakedown
- shoot down
- shot down
- showdown
- showdown between good and evil
- shut down
- simmer down
- sit down
- slow down
- snail-like
- snuggled down
- step down
- sundown
- swear up and down
- take down
- take-down
- take down a notch
- take down a peg
- take down peg
- take it lying down
- takedown
- taken down
- takes down a peg
- taking down
- taking down a peg
- talk down to
- talked down to
- talking down to
- talks down to
- tare down
- tear down
- tears down
- throw down
- throw down gauntlet
- throw down the gauntlet
- thrown down
- thumbs down
- thumbs down on
- tie down
- tone down
- tooth and nail
- torn down
- toss down
- track down
- tumble-down
- tumbledown
- tune down
- turn down
- turn thumbs down
- turn upside down
- tying down
- up and down
- USnail
- walk and down
- walk down
- walk down aisle
- walk up and down
- walk up down
- walked and down
- walked down
- walked up and down
- walked up down
- walking and down
- walking down
- walking down aisle
- walking up and down
- walks and down
- walks down
- walks down aisle
- walks up and down
- walks up down
- was down in mouth
- was down in the mouth
- was down mouth
- was down the mouth
- wash down
- water down
- watered-down
- watered down
- wear down
- weigh down
- weighed down
- wind down
- wolf down
- worn-down
- write down
Most wanted synonyms
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019