cravar

Senses

1. 1.

   to drive in, to nail, to stick

   To force or hammer something pointed into a surface

2. 2.

   to sink (in), to embed

   To thrust something into something else (teeth, claws, knife)

3. 3.

   to nail, to ace

   To get something exactly right or to succeed completely (colloquial)

4. 4.

   to set, to stud, to inlay

   To decorate by embedding jewels or precious stones

Examples

• "Ele cravou o prego na parede com um martelo."

  He drove the nail into the wall with a hammer.

• "O leão cravou suas garras na presa."

  The lion sank its claws into the prey.

• "Ela cravou todas as respostas da prova!"

  She nailed all the answers on the test!

Usage

Very common in Brazilian Portuguese with both literal and figurative meanings. The colloquial sense "to nail/ace" is widely used among students and in sports contexts (e.g., "cravar um gol" = to score a great goal). Often used with prepositions "em" (in/on) for the target location.