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
The department estimates the encampment currently has 90 residents, though exact numbers are hard to pin down because people come and go every day, Rodriguez said.
—
Lulu Jaeckel, Twin Cities, 29 Nov. 2025
Thanksgiving movies are harder to pin down, by definition domestic in both their setting and the holiday’s origins.
—Alex Ross Perry, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
The page alleged he was pinned down by the vehicle.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Officer Patrick O'Donnell began punching him as he was pinned down.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pin down
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Lulu Jaeckel, Twin Cities, 29 Nov. 2025
Thanksgiving movies are harder to pin down, by definition domestic in both their setting and the holiday’s origins.
—Alex Ross Perry, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
The page alleged he was pinned down by the vehicle.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Officer Patrick O'Donnell began punching him as he was pinned down.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pin down
Cite this Entry
“Pin down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pin%20down. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
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