pull in one's horns
pull in one's horns · pulls in one's horns · pulled in one's horns · pulling in one's horns
To become less impassioned, aggressive, or argumentativeTo become less impassioned, aggressive, or argumentative; to exercise restraint; to yield or capitulate.
Meaning
1 senses(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 hornsirregular
| Base form | pull in one's horns · to pull in one's horns |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | pulls in one's horns |
| Present participle | pulling in one's horns |
| Past simple | pulled in one's horns |
| Past participle | pulled in one's horns |
Tenses
pull in one's horns · pulled in one's horns · will pull in one's horns · have pulled in one's hornsPoint at a form to see it in a sentence.Tap a form to see it in a sentence.
Synonyms
14 synonymsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.