What is "pull in one's horns"

alt. (context idiomatic English) To become less impassioned, aggressive, or argumentative; to exercise restraint; to yield or capitulate. vb. (context idiomatic English) To become less impassioned, aggressive, or argumentative; to exercise restraint; to yield or capitulate.

v. make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity; "We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him"; "He backed out of his earlier promise"; "The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns" [syn: retreat, pull back, back out, back away, crawfish, crawfish out, withdraw]