English Reference
Idiom idiom

drill down


To examine information at another level or in greater detail; especially in a database, to navigate to a more detailed level or record.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

Let's drill down into the sales numbers.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager asked her team to drill down and find out why profits had dropped.

COMPLEX

Rather than skimming the surface of the data, the analyst chose to drill down through several layers of records until she uncovered the source of the discrepancy.


Related idioms3entries
  1. 01

    fire drill

    Any pointless, unproductive, useless, or chaotic activity.

  2. 02

    know the drill

    To be acquainted with the normal process or procedure of a given activity or situation; to be familiar with how something is done.

  3. 03

    sack drill

    Sleep.

Last updated August 10, 2026