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.
Bergström's colleague Dr Pontus Skoglund is now analysing ancient wolf DNA from across the globe to pin down that historic moment.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
In the film a doctor explains that there are times when physicians aren’t able to pin down a diagnosis or there are multiple diagnoses.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026
Carlson, trying to pin down what Huckabee means when he calls himself a “Christian Zionist,” asks him to define it plainly.
From Slate • Feb. 25, 2026
“Palantir’s story used to be hard to pin down: powerful technology, big claims, and a lot of debate,” he added.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
For reasons that no one can quite pin down today, Robert decided to name this boy Loser.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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.
