pin down

verb

pinned down; pinning down; pins down

transitive verb

1
: to cause or force (someone) to make a definite statement or decision about something
Reporters tried to pin him down on the specific changes he wants to make to the tax laws.
2
: to find out (something) with certainty
Can you pin down when the change occurred?
I'm trying to pin the source of the problem down.

Examples of pin down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Musk’s politics, by comparison, are harder to pin down. Simon Shuster, TIME, 21 Nov. 2024 Three fellow passengers helped the flight attendant and pinned down the man. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 20 Nov. 2024 The dead are less knowable than the living, perhaps, but easier to pin down. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024 But anyone who pays close attention to his shows should see that his politics aren’t so easy to pin down. Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pin down 

Word History

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pin down was in 1765

Dictionary Entries Near pin down

Cite this Entry

“Pin down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pin%20down. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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