pin down

verb

pinned down; pinning down; pins down
Synonyms of pin downnext

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
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.
The Newfoundland accent, which his character Wade and the rest of the cast are using in the show, is hard to pin down. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 However, their journey may be influenced by the surrounding solar wind, making precise arrival times difficult to pin down. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Then, when the real D-Day began, those troops would be pinned down by Allied bomber missions and further drops of British and Canadian commandos. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026 The reasons for this planet-wide drop in procreation, however, are hard to pin down and hotly debated, and, like most other big questions in the United States, they have been absorbed into larger culture-war arguments. — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pin down

Word History

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pin down was in 1765

Rhymes for pin down

See All Rhymes for pin down

Browse Nearby Words

pindot
pin down
pin drafter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pin down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pin%20down. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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