nail down
to fasten down with or as if with nails
informal to extort a definite promise or consent from: I nailed him down on the deadline
informal to settle in a definite way: they nailed down the agreement
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
How to use nail down in a sentence
Not enough that Democrats can win Arkansas, God knows, but maybe enough that they can nail down North Carolina again.
Inside the Democrats’ Godawful Midterm Election Wipeout | Michael Tomasky | November 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAugust isn't really the time to be trying to nail down the scary-lazy-black-people and the Democrats-hate-God voting blocs.
The "War on Religion": Still Placating the Base | Michael Tomasky | August 9, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTActually, hard numbers on the safety of home birth are surprisingly difficult to nail down.
Home Birth: Increasingly Popular, But Dangerous | Michelle Goldberg | June 25, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTRomney, for his part, still cannot win blue-collar votes and still cannot nail down evangelical support.
We were trying to nail down the schedule for it to air, with the goal of it being Thursday night.
Newt Gingrich’s Punching Bag at CNN Debate: Moderator John King | Howard Kurtz | January 21, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
I recovered just as the people were about to nail down the hatches; perceiving which, I desired them to stop.
In other words, I was trying to nail down where this lie started.
Warren Commission (5 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President KennedyWe shall nail down the transom and stuff the keyhole with soap if you do.
Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year at High School | Jessie Graham FlowerRyan at once took out the saw, poured some oil on it, and passed his nail down the bar until he found a fine nick.
Under Wellington's Command | G. A. Hentynail down the rear end upon floor to its widest spread, with hind legs pointing back on a slight slant.
Taxidermy | Leon Luther Pray
Other Idioms and Phrases with nail down
Establish conclusively, as in The reporter nailed down the story by checking all the facts. This metaphoric expression alludes to fixing or fastening something down with nails. [c. 1600]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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