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to pin

to pin

99 2.1
To hold something or someone firmly so they cannot move
  • verb
  • /pɪn/
translation icon : inmovilizar
  • We'll pin 'em down there, then split up and finish the job.
  • try to pin

Everybody, nobody lives pinned in a moral certainty.

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Examples

  • We need to do this very carefully here and then pin it just there.

  • The force of a monster wave can pin you right down to the bottom.

    Academic text (1992)
  • All units, pin 'em in!

  • Lay the pattern on the cloth and pin it down so that it will not slip.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Stuart looks up, and Charlie gets him in a headlock and pins him to the ground.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Two more cops are moving on Jim, pinning both his arms and dragging him off stage.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • "Is that better, baby?" Alex braced himself over Michael, pinning him down at the shoulders.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • She used a heavy rock to pin the cardboard to the ground during the windy day.

  • The coach had to pin the player's shoulders to the mat to secure his victory.

  • He managed to pin the map on the board with a couple of thumbtacks.

Synonyms

to trap
vsto pin
919 2.6

To catch and hold someone or something so they cannot leave

focuses more on firm holding by pressing or trapping rather than tricking
to lock
vsto pin
398 2.5

To become stiff and unable to move a part of the body

is about catching or trapping to stop movement, not only mechanical rigidity
to fasten
vsto pin
68 1.6

Hold something in place so it cannot move

emphasizes holding by pressing or trapping rather than any simple attachment method
to strap
vsto pin
52 2.9

To fasten something with a band so it stays in place

uses pressure or trapping to hold things rather than a wrapped band
to anchor
vsto pin
51 3.4

To hold something in place so it does not move

tends to use holding by pressure or trapping rather than anchoring in one spot
to stick on
vsto pin
25 2.7

Put something on a surface so it stays in place

focuses on firm holding by pressing or trapping rather than surface adhesion
to immobilize
vsto pin
21 6.0

To stop movement or action

is a specific way of holding, often by pressing or trapping rather than general immobility
to clip
vsto pin
19 1.0

To fasten things together using a small metal or plastic device

relies more on pressing or trapping for firm hold than on a clamp
to pin down
vsto pin
5 3.7

To attach something in place with a pin

holds objects firmly often by pressing or trapping rather than simple fastening
to pin up
vsto pin
4 3.6

To attach something to a wall or board with a pin

is more about holding firmly by pressing or trapping items in place
to fixate
vsto pin
2 6.8

To fasten something so it does not move

is about firm holding often involving pressure or trapping rather than general fixing
to pinion
vsto pin
  • NSFW
1 9.5

To tie someone's arms or legs so they cannot move

is more general, holding or trapping things rather than only tying limbs

Antonyms

1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

Idioms

to care a pin
  • Archaic
9.9

To not mind something at all

A phrase people say to make fun of someone who brags

Phrasal Verbs

60 4.8

To say someone caused a problem when they did not

20 3.5

To make something exact, like a date or reason

17 5.1

To make someone give a clear answer and stop avoiding it

5 3.7

To attach something in place with a pin

4 3.6

To attach something to a wall or board with a pin

to pin back
  • Specialized
1 9.5

To make the ears lie closer to the head by surgery

Compounds

11 2.2

A small metal clip that holds hair in place

7 1.5

A long round tool for flattening dough in the kitchen

5 1.8

A secret number that lets you access bank or phone accounts

firing pin
  • Specialized
5 6.8

A small metal part inside a gun that hits the cartridge to start the bullet moving

4 1.0

A small metal thing with a sharp point and a cover that holds clothes together

3 1.4

A heavy wooden thing shaped like a club that players try to knock down in bowling

cotter pin
  • Specialized
2 7.4

A metal pin with split ends that you put through a hole and bend apart to hold parts together

pin money
  • Archaic
1 6.1

A small amount of money kept for personal expenses

pin tumbler
  • Specialized
1 7.3

A set of small metal pins inside a lock that a key lines up to open it

1 2.6

A thin piece of metal with a sharp end that holds cloth or paper

safety pin
  • Neologism
1 2.7

A small metal object worn on clothing to show support for a person or group

1 5.8

A small curl made by twisting damp hair and holding it with a pin

pin oak
  • US
1 5.0

A large oak tree that grows fast with deeply cut leaves and bright red color in autumn

belaying pin
  • Specialized
9.2

A short wooden or metal bar that holds a rope when you wrap it around

bitt pin
  • Specialized
9.9

A pin people place across a post on a ship to stop a rope from slipping off

1.4

A small clip made of wood or plastic that holds clothes on a line while they dry

2.3

A short pin with a flat head that attaches paper to a wall or board

dowel pin
  • Specialized
6.7

A small round metal or wooden rod that you put into holes in two pieces to hold them together

gudgeon pin
  • Specialized
9.9

A metal pin that joins the piston to the connecting rod in an engine so the piston can turn slightly

A small to medium oak tree from east-central North America with leaves that have many sharp points

9.8

A weed with reddish stems and small purple flowers used as food for farm animals

pin bone
  • Specialized
9.4

A small hard part inside a sirloin steak between the flat bone and the porterhouse

8.5

A small tree or bush with bright red sour fruit

9.9

A spreading plant with reddish flowers grown for animal food

6.5

A machine you play by hitting buttons to move a metal ball

pin wrench
  • Specialized
7.9

A wrench with pins that fit into holes to turn round nuts like locknuts

A duck with a long neck and long thin tail feathers

A bird with very long middle tail feathers

A bird with long middle tail feathers that lives in Europe and Africa

pin-up art
  • NSFW
7.5

Pictures of women posed in an attractive, old-fashioned style

pin-up
  • NSFW
7.5

A picture of an attractive person or the person shown

A small decorative pin worn on clothes, often in groups

swivel pin
  • Specialized
7.5

A metal part that turns to let a car's wheel move when you steer

6.8

A small wooden target that players knock down in the game of skittles

wrist pin
  • Specialized
8.5

A metal rod placed through wrist bones to hold them still while they heal

wrist pin
  • Specialized
8.6

A small metal rod that joins a piston to the rod that moves it in an engine

How Restrained

to immobilize
21 6.0
to restrain
86 4.6
to pin
99 2.1
to hold
1.0
to grab
1.0

Surface Forms

pin infinitive
pinned past
pinned past participle
pinning present participle
pins third person singular

Etymology

Pin meaning to hold firmly comes from the same idea of fixing with a peg, from old English pinn. So if someone is pinned, they are held down and cannot move.