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

In a city where more than 145 languages are spoken, and every neighborhood carries the flavors of somewhere else, the drinking scene reflects that same refusal to be pinned down. —Carrie Honaker, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 June 2026

Some results show up later in the form of brand recognition or customer loyalty, which makes short-term ROI harder to pin down. —Wyles Daniel june 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 June 2026

As Henderson kept knocking pins down left and right, the Times reported that more and more strangers began to gather behind the lane to watch the 9-year-old’s impressive performance. —Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026

Any attempt to pin down the greatest men’s footballer is therefore futile at best and highly subjective at worst. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 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