# drill down

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/drill-down
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to look at information in more detail to find specific facts or the cause of a problem. You use this when you want to go deeper into a topic.

For teachers: to investigate or examine something in increasing detail, typically by moving from a high-level summary to specific data points. The verb functions intransitively or takes a prepositional object with 'into'.

## Examples

- We need to drill down into these sales figures to find the problem.
- The manager asked the team to drill down into the customer feedback to identify the exact source of the complaints.
- Although the executive summary provided a broad overview of performance, the analysts needed to drill down into regional metrics to isolate the underperforming sectors.

## Pitfalls

- Not "We need to drill down the data." but "We need to drill down into the data." — The figurative sense of examining data requires the preposition 'into' to connect to the object.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by the preposition 'into' when referring to the specific data being examined.
- Teaching tip: use the metaphor of a physical drill going through layers of earth to help students visualize moving through layers of data.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.