pin on

Idioms  

1. Attribute to someone, especially a wrongdoing or crime. For example, They pinned the murder on the wrong man. This expression uses pin in the sense of “attach.” [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

“I can’t put a pin on why it’s happening,” he added, wryly acknowledging that his view, for now, is looking up from the pool at the Chateau.

From Los Angeles Times

She reflects that her response — “There is nothing that comes to mind” — landed as if she’d “pulled the pin on a hand grenade.”

From Los Angeles Times

The analyst dropped a pin on the migrants and the VaDER program began tracking their movement in a blue trail.

From Los Angeles Times

During a team meeting, Landman unfurled a map of Africa, tracing its outline with his finger before shading the small patch of land he calls home — wedged right above South Africa — to give his locker room a visual pin on where his story began.

From Los Angeles Times

“Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem,” Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant Homeland Security secretary, said in a statement Friday.

From Los Angeles Times