pin down

• Verbe à particule utilisé pour forcer quelqu'un à prendre une décision ou à révéler ses intentions, ou pour déterminer ou décrire précisément quelque chose.

A phrasal verb used to indicate the act of forcing someone to make a decision or reveal their intentions, or to precisely identify or define something.

indénombrable · transitif · phrasal, séparable

1. Force to stay in placeinformal

   To physically hold someone or something down so they cannot move.

   Maintenir immobilisé

   • The wrestler pinned his opponent down to the mat.
   • The debris pinned the driver down inside the car.
   • He was pinned down by the weight of the fallen tree.

   Synonymeshold downimmobilizepinpress downrestrainsecure

   Antonymesfreelooserelease

2. Get a precise answer or commitmentinformal

   To force someone to give a clear and definite answer or decision.

   amener quelqu'un à se prononcer

   • I tried to pin him down on a date for the meeting.
   • The journalist pinned the politician down on his tax policy.
   • She couldn't pin down her boss on the deadline.

   Synonymesbindbuttonholecornernail downtie down

3. Identify or define preciselyinformal

   To determine or understand something exactly.

   cerner précisément

   • It's hard to pin down the exact cause of the problem.
   • Scientists are trying to pin down the source of the infection.
   • I can't pin down what it is about her that I don't like.

   Synonymesascertaindefinedeterminediscernidentifynail downpinpointsingle outspecify

Verbe de basepin