pin down
verb
pinned down; pinning down; pins down
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
Shocking witness cellphone footage of Mitchell pinned down by security guards has circulated on social media and has been highlighted by prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been hired by Mitchell’s family.
—
Chantelle Lee, TIME, 9 July 2024
There’s a moment toward the end of the new Netflix picture in which Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton) are pinned down by gunfire at a California mansion.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 2 July 2024
But scientists have been struggling to pin down the specifics of the inner core’s motion.
—Rudy Molinek, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 July 2024
That actually makes the assignment different from their day jobs, i.e., trying to pin down a guest for an answer on a Sunday talk show.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pin down 
Chantelle Lee, TIME, 9 July 2024
There’s a moment toward the end of the new Netflix picture in which Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton) are pinned down by gunfire at a California mansion.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 2 July 2024
But scientists have been struggling to pin down the specifics of the inner core’s motion.
—Rudy Molinek, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 July 2024
That actually makes the assignment different from their day jobs, i.e., trying to pin down a guest for an answer on a Sunday talk show.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pin down
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pin down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share