Phrasal verb
peg down
Definition
phrasal verb. to fasten something to the ground so it does not move. You can also use it when you try to make someone give you a clear, specific answer.
phrasal verb. to secure an object to the ground using pegs; by extension, to limit or fix a price, or to force a person to commit to a specific detail.
Examples
“We should peg down the tent before it gets too windy.”
“The manager tried to peg down the contractor to a fixed price before the project started.”
“While the literal sense involves securing a groundsheet, the figurative usage often appears in political discourse when journalists attempt to peg down elusive candidates to specific policy commitments.”
Examples
simple
“We should peg down the tent before it gets too windy.”
contextual
“The manager tried to peg down the contractor to a fixed price before the project started.”
complex
“While the literal sense involves securing a groundsheet, the figurative usage often appears in political discourse when journalists attempt to peg down elusive candidates to specific policy commitments.”
Usage
The object can be a physical thing like a tent or an abstract thing like a price or a date.
Teaching tip
Contrast with 'pin down'; while often interchangeable in figurative senses, 'peg down' retains a stronger connection to physical stability or fixed values.
Pitfall
We need to peg out the tent.
We need to peg down the tent.
'Peg out' usually means to hang laundry on a line or, informally, to die; 'peg down' is the correct term for securing something to the ground.
Phrasal verb
Particles
down
Separability
optional
Pattern
peg + down + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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