pin down
To identify something (e.g. a decision or plan) clearly or specifically.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I need to pin down a date for the meeting.”
“The manager asked us to pin down exactly how much the project would cost.”
“Despite weeks of discussion, the committee struggled to pin down a clear policy that would satisfy all parties involved.”
- 01
for two pins
Readily, with only the slightest encouragement.
- 02
have one's ears pinned back
To be strongly scolded, reprimanded or admonished.
- 03
one could hear a pin drop
Extremely quiet, for example, as during a lull in a normally bustling place or scene, or at a sudden dramatic or tense moment.
- 04
pin money
A relatively small sum of cash kept in one's personal possession for routine expenses or incidental purchases; an amount of money which is not particularly significant.
- 05
row of pins
An insignificant thing, a whit.
Last updated August 10, 2026