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
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
Effective treatment isn’t often an option because the condition is so hard to pin down in the first place, according to a 2019 study published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 6 Mar. 2026
Styles’ current persona is harder to pin down, landing somewhere between free love cult leader (there’s a gospel choir credited on no less than five Kiss All the Time tracks) and a life coach.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
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.
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
Effective treatment isn’t often an option because the condition is so hard to pin down in the first place, according to a 2019 study published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 6 Mar. 2026
Styles’ current persona is harder to pin down, landing somewhere between free love cult leader (there’s a gospel choir credited on no less than five Kiss All the Time tracks) and a life coach.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
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 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
