The Clue
It's often polished (4 letter answer)
The Answer
NAIL
Tags
Notes
The answer NAIL is seen frequently, appearing about once every 100 puzzles.
Related Clues
Ace
Brad
Claw
Clinch
Collar
Fasten
Fastener
Nab
___ polish
Tenpenny, for one
"For want of a ___ the . . . "
Brad or spad
Catch, slangily
Catch a thief
Detect and expose
Do perfectly
Drive tenpennies
Execute perfectly
Fasten or fastener
Fasten firmly
Fasten permanently
Kind of file
Kingdom loser
Manicurist's target
Perform perfectly
One with a pounding head?
Shingler's need
Tenpenny, e.g.
Catch but good
Catch red-handed
Clip-and-file item
Do carpentry work
Emery-board target
One that gets hit on the head
It's at your fingertip
Kingdom loser in a refrain
It gets hit on the head
Definition
NAIL as a noun:
1. horny plate covering and protecting part of the dorsal surface of the digits
2. a thin pointed piece of metal that is hammered into materials as a fastener
3. a former unit of length for cloth equal to 1/16 of a yard
NAIL as a verb:
1. attach something somewhere by means of nails; "nail the board onto the wall"
2. (collar, nail, apprehend, arrest, pick up, nab, cop) = take into custody; "the police nabbed the suspected criminals"
3. (smash, nail, boom, blast) = hit hard; "He smashed a 3-run homer"
4. (nail down, nail, peg) = succeed in obtaining a position; "He nailed down a spot at Harvard"
5. (breeze through, ace, pass with flying colors, sweep through, sail through, nail) = succeed at easily; "She sailed through her exams"; "You will pass with flying colors"; "She nailed her astrophysics course"
6. (pinpoint, nail) = locate exactly; "can you pinpoint the position of the enemy?"; "The chemists could not nail the identity of the chromosome"
7. (complete, nail) = complete a pass