pin down
To attach or secure with pinsTo attach or secure with pins.
» Tom is hard to pin down.
Meaning
4 senses(transitive)To attach or secure with pins.
Pin down the tablecloth, so it doesn't blow away in the breeze.
attach with or as if with a pin
(idiomatic, transitive)To identify something (e.g. a decision or plan) clearly or specifically.
Something is wrong, but I can't pin it down.
define clearly
(transitive)To hold the opponent back-first so both his or her shoulders touch the mat or ground.
(idiomatic, transitive)To corner somebody in order to get a firm answer.
Let's try to pin him down on a price.
Examples
13 sentencesTom is hard to pin down.
He was pinned down by a fallen tree.
Investigators are trying to pin down the cause of today's fire.
He was hard to pin down.
Tom was hard to pin down.
Translations
2 languagesForms
pins down, pinning down, pinned down, pinned down| Base form | pin down · to pin down |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | pins down |
| Present participle | pinning down |
| Past simple | pinned down |
| Past participle | pinned down |
irregular
Phrasal verbs
4 phrasal verbsSynonyms
8 synonymsWord family
5 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Phrasal verbs: introduction — Because it is a phrasal verb