Phrase · C1 · Neutral · often suggests difficulty or persistence
pin down
pin DOWN Stress down; pin doubles n before -ing: pinning down.
Discover exact details about something, or make someone give a definite answer or commitment.
tačno utvrditi; precizirati; privoliti nekoga na konkretan odgovor
Use it
The technicians have not yet pinned down where the signal is failing.
A question clause can name the exact detail being investigated.
I finally pinned the contractor down to a firm completion date.
A person is made to commit to one definite detail.
Build the sentence
pin down + cause/date/details · pin someone down on/to + answer, date, or commitment
Memory scene
A vague answer flutters like a loose map; one bright pin fixes its exact point and stops it moving.
Watch out
The verb is separable: pin it down and pin someone down. Use pin down something for discovering details, but pin someone down on/to something when pressing a person for specificity. A physical sense means prevent movement.
Nearby language
The neutral closest verb for discovering exactly what something is.
More informal and often means settle or confirm details firmly.
Reduces the number of possibilities but may stop before one exact answer is found.
Make it yours
Dobavljač stalno govori „uskoro“, a vi želite da ga navedete da potvrdi tačan datum.