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

The case for water in lunar PSRs has grown across the years, but scientists are still struggling to pin down just how much might be there. —K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026

Windley and his family did their own investigations after his conviction to pin down the identity of the two robbers and pressure them to do the right thing and confess, hiring a private investigator to help them. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026

Fan wikis, Reddit threads, and dedicated location databases like MovieMaps or Atlas of Wonders are absolute goldmines for pinning down exact filming spots. —Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026

Fan wikis, Reddit threads, and dedicated location databases like MovieMaps or Atlas of Wonders are goldmines for pinning down exact filming spots. —Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pin down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown