pin down

British  

verb

1. to force (someone) to make a decision or carry out a promise

2. to define clearly

   he had a vague suspicion that he couldn't quite pin down

3. to confine to a place

   the fallen tree pinned him down

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pin down Idioms  

1. Fix or establish clearly, as in The firefighters finally were able to pin down the source of the odor . [Mid-1900s]

2. Force someone to give precise information or opinions, as in The reporter pinned down the governor on the issue of conservation measures . [c. 1700]

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Example Sentences

"While puberty offers a clear start, the end of adolescence is much harder to pin down scientifically. Based purely on neural architecture, we found that adolescent-like changes in brain structure end around the early thirties."

From Science Daily

Another crucial part of the research involved pinning down the age of the fossils and reconstructing the ancient environments in which these hominins lived.

From Science Daily

Although earlier studies have identified individual steps occurring at the electrodes during ammonia formation, the full sequence of events has remained difficult to pin down.

From Science Daily

But that wasn’t all — Wen tried a second time to jump the barricades that lined the event’s yellow carpet but was pinned down by security, the BBC said.

From Los Angeles Times

Warrant Officer Michael Webber, 43, had pinned down Beck and tried to kiss her.

From BBC

Related Words

• cause
• charge
• compel
• demand
• drag
• drive
• impose
• inflict
• limit
• make
• move
• oblige
• order
• press
• pressure
• require
• restrict
• urge