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
For such an essential part of blockbuster cinema, the definition of a disaster movie can be surprisingly hard to pin down.
—
James Grebey, TIME, 19 July 2024
Nobody has been able to pin down exactly when the trees were put in the median or who decided to do it.
—Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 25 June 2024
Plans have shifted recently, with the Barber Valley Neighborhood Association meeting several times with High Rhodes to pin down the future of the vacant land.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 21 June 2024
As troops emerged from landing boats on the long, flat Omaha Beach, they were pinned down by enemy machine-gun fire from the cliffs above.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pin down 
James Grebey, TIME, 19 July 2024
Nobody has been able to pin down exactly when the trees were put in the median or who decided to do it.
—Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 25 June 2024
Plans have shifted recently, with the Barber Valley Neighborhood Association meeting several times with High Rhodes to pin down the future of the vacant land.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 21 June 2024
As troops emerged from landing boats on the long, flat Omaha Beach, they were pinned down by enemy machine-gun fire from the cliffs above.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 6 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 26 Jul. 2024.
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