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
Because research has been lacking in women, Peery and her colleagues aimed to pin down whether this applied to females, too.
—
Sarah Garone, Health, 9 May 2025
Determined to pin down PKMζ’s role once and for all, Sacktor and Fenton set out to design a way to disrupt it more precisely than ever before.
—Ajdina Halilovic, Quanta Magazine, 7 May 2025
When pinning down the right amount to apply, expert advise two easy visual aids—opt for squeezing out a nickel size amount, or two finger length worths of product.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025
In his final act of heroism, González moved fearlessly from numerous firing positions as his unit was pinned down by intense incoming fire to destroy an enemy rocket position and successfully suppressed hostile bombardment — actions that protected his fellow Marines but left him fatally wounded.
—Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pin down
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sarah Garone, Health, 9 May 2025
Determined to pin down PKMζ’s role once and for all, Sacktor and Fenton set out to design a way to disrupt it more precisely than ever before.
—Ajdina Halilovic, Quanta Magazine, 7 May 2025
When pinning down the right amount to apply, expert advise two easy visual aids—opt for squeezing out a nickel size amount, or two finger length worths of product.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025
In his final act of heroism, González moved fearlessly from numerous firing positions as his unit was pinned down by intense incoming fire to destroy an enemy rocket position and successfully suppressed hostile bombardment — actions that protected his fellow Marines but left him fatally wounded.
—Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 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 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share