pin down — define/identify precisely
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
to describe, explain, or identify something clearly and exactly, especially when it is difficult to do so because it is complex or unclear
Say it like a native
Textbook It is difficult to articulate the precise nature of the problem.
Native It's hard to pin down exactly what the problem is.
The idiom captures the elusiveness; 'articulate the precise nature of' is heavy.
Pattern: pin down + noun / pin down what/why/how
In use
- It's hard to pin down exactly what makes her such an effective leader.communication
- While many people agree that technology has changed our lives, it's difficult to pin down the exact impact it has had on personal relationships.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ It's hard to pin it.
✓ It's hard to pin it down.
It needs 'down' — 'pin down' (pronoun in the middle: 'pin it down').
Common collocations
pin down— pin down, hard to pin down, pin down a date, pin it down
Don't confuse it
This sense is different from the more concrete meaning of 'pin down' (to physically hold someone or something so they cannot move). Here, it is about clarifying or defining something abstract, not about physical restraint.