Whiteisms
The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท D

Drill down

Meaning

To examine something in great detail or look closer at specific data. It is often used to get past surface level information to find the root cause.

Professional, analytical

Used in a sentence

  • Let us drill down into the sales figures for the second quarter.
  • We need to drill down on the marketing expenses to see where we are losing money.
  • Can you drill down and explain why this project is over budget?

The backstory

This comes from the literal act of drilling into the earth to see what is beneath the surface. It was adopted by corporate culture in the late 20th century.

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