hit the nail on the head
To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You hit the nail on the head with that answer.”
“When she said the problem was poor communication, she hit the nail on the head.”
“The critic hit the nail on the head when he wrote that the film's real weakness was its slow, confusing script.”
first recorded 15th c.
From carpentry — striking the nail squarely; figurative use attested as early as The Book of Margery Kempe (c. 1438).
- 01
another nail in someone's coffin
An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.
- 02
bang one's head against a brick wall
To waste effort on a futile project.
- 03
bang some heads together
Attempt to get results from a previously ineffectual or argumentative group, typically by coercion or force.
- 04
bash someone's head
To beat up someone violently.
- 05
big head
An inflated ego, an exaggerated belief in one's own importance.
- 06
bite one's nails
To worry or fret over something.
- 07
bite someone's head off
To severely berate someone.
- 08
blow someone's head off
To shoot someone in the head.
Last updated August 10, 2026