DRILLED Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

drilled 1 of 2

verb (1)

past tense of drill

as in pierced

to make a hole or series of holes in the nerve-jangling sound when a dentist drills a tooth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in popped

to strike with a missile from a gun drilled the target from 100 yards away

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drilled

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of drill

as in planted

to put or set into the ground to grow he drills soybeans in the same rows with corn

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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.

Recent Examples of drilled

Verb

Broncos kicker Wil Lutz drilled a 53-yard field goal in overtime to elevate Denver to a 17-14 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Just two years ago, in 2024, Schmidt and the Trades Council were on opposite sides of a different ballot measure proposal — one over an oil industry effort to repeal a law banning oil and gas wells from being drilled too close to parks and schools. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Week 2 required overtime, as Harrison Butker drilled a 40-yard field goal on the final play to beat the Indianapolis Colts 33-30. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026 José Ramírez reached on an infield single to start the eighth and DeLauter drilled a double off losing pitcher Tyler Wells, putting runners at second and third. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 The family has seemingly drilled a hole directly into the middle of their kitchen island to accommodate the charging cable, for one. — Allison Johnson, The Verge, 13 Oct. 2026 Santos and others had drilled with limited results but couldn’t replicate the American formula. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026 Corsair drilled the inner portion of its 200mm fan frames to screw directly onto the rails when they are set at their 140mm position. — Thomas Soderstrom, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026 As Epic’s campus grew, the company drilled more boreholes to be able to store, and use, more heat. — Moones Alamooti, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drilled

Verb

The sound of jackhammering in the Horsches’ backyard pierced the otherwise quiet street Wednesday afternoon.

— Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026
Neighbors in the area say the bullets pierced parked cars, trash cans, even the bedroom window of someone blocks away.

— Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of pierced

Verb

The $11 million spread is listed with Wade Weathers and Meg Kauffman at LandVest Christie’s International Real Estate and has come to market shortly after Vermont’s most expensive home popped up for sale.

— Tori Latham, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
Kyle Tucker popped up to center, and Teoscar Hernandez struck out on a ball off the plate by about two and a half feet.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of popped

Verb

That same day, the complaint says Alfozan left his bag unattended in another room, and the company's security personnel opened it and found his ID, wallet and another recording device similar to the one planted in the conference room.

— Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Owned by the Tasca D’Almerita family since 1830, the area is planted with wheat, grain, olive trees, and almond trees in addition to native and international grape varieties.

— Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of planted

Verb

As for the crack, well, that happened by accident when heavy equipment punched through a concrete wall and unintentionally punctured the sphere, company officials told The Mountaineer.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Ordinary except, of course, for that time humans punched it, opening the door for the Hera mission to explore the previously unremarkable rocks.

— Meghan Bartels, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of punched

Verb

Each console was tested in the device's performance mode while plugged directly into power, with the only difference being the resolution.

— Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
The roommate then plugged the camera in and saw several videos of Long inside the bedroom testing out the device, according to the report.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of plugged

Verb

Las Vegas, which was seeded third, had won three of the past four championships.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
That latest round of NFL-booth musical chairs has already seeded some decidedly dodgy ideas in the minds of our keenest sports-media types.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of seeded

Verb

Last year, a Senatobia officer threatened a Black woman with a Taser, pulling her from her car and onto the ground and arresting her during a confrontation over an accessible parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.

— SOPHIE BATES, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
While traveling with then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981, White House press secretary James Brady was shot during an assassination attempt on the president.

— Chandelis Duster, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of shot

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“Drilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drilled. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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