pin down
Britishverb
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to force (someone) to make a decision or carry out a promise
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to define clearly
he had a vague suspicion that he couldn't quite pin down
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to confine to a place
the fallen tree pinned him down
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Fix or establish clearly, as in The firefighters finally were able to pin down the source of the odor . [Mid-1900s]
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Force someone to give precise information or opinions, as in The reporter pinned down the governor on the issue of conservation measures . [c. 1700]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is also why, as a filmmaker, he has often been hard to pin down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Even Witkoff’s friends can’t pin down how the two became so close.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
To fight the industry’s double standards, she created a wealth of her own, making Madonna impossible to pin down and thus endlessly fascinating.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
They add that it will be difficult to pin down the normalized EPS level until the company issues 2027 guidance in January.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
It’s the type of song that settles in your bones and makes you sad for a reason you can’t quite pin down.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
