pin down (someone)

1. to keep someone from being able to escape by shooting at them.

For a time, the crew was pinned down by machine-gun fire.

2. to get specific information from someone.

It is not easy to pin down a politician who won't even tell you if it's raining or snowing!

We tried to pin him down on where the money would come from.

3. to hold someone by force so that they cannot move.

Burns usually pinned down and then handcuffed his victims.

I was pinned down by a wall that had fallen.

Usage notes: when the object is a pronoun, it always follows pin:

Don't pin me down about my plans.

• in the dumps
• in the end
• in the event of
• in the event of something
• in the eyes of
• in the eyes of someone
• in the eyes of the law
• in the face of
• in the face of something
• in the family way
• in the fast lane
• in the final analysis
• in the first place
• in the flesh
• in the fullness of time
• in the grand scheme of things
• in the great scheme of things
• in the grip of
• in the grip of something
• in the groove
• in the hands of
• in the hands of someone
• in the heat of
• in the heat of something
• in the heat of the moment