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hit the nail on the head

/ˈhɪt ðə ˈneɪl ɑn ðə ˈhɛd/
IPA guide

Other forms: hits the nail on the head; hitting the nail on the head

When you hit the nail on the head, you say something that is absolutely right. If your coach says, "You've hit the nail on the head!" when you suggest that your team's losing streak is because you haven't practiced enough, then she agrees with you 100 percent.

The idiom hit the nail on the head suggests someone using a hammer to skillfully hit a nail squarely on the top, or head, right where it's supposed to be hit. People often use this expression when several answers or solutions have been considered for a problem, but none of them are quite right. Then, someone suggests the exact right thing, thus hitting the nail on the head! Though the phrase is usually used to reference a spoken idea, it can also refer to an action, like giving someone the perfect gift.

Definitions of hit the nail on the head
  1. idiom
    get something exactly right; say or do just the right thing
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