Meaning

1 senses
  1. (idiomatic)To become less impassioned, aggressive, or argumentative; to exercise restraint; to yield or capitulate.

More definitions
  • make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity

Origin

In reference to the behaviour of a snail when it is threatened.

In reference to the behaviour of a snail when it is threatened.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

pulls in one's horns, pulling in one's horns, pulled in one's horns, pulled in one's horns
Base formpull in one's horns · to pull in one's horns
3rd person singularpulls in one's horns
Present participlepulling in one's horns
Past simplepulled in one's horns
Past participlepulled in one's horns

irregular

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theypull in one's horns
he, she, itpulls in one's horns

Past simpleLesson

all personspulled in one's horns

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave pulled in one's horns
he, she, ithas pulled in one's horns

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill pull in one's horns

Synonyms

14 synonyms

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
pull in one's horns — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto