pincer movement
1
7.5
- noun
- /ˈpɪn.sɚ ˈmuː.vənt/
- Specialized
:
movimiento de pinza
Examples
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We can catch them in a pincer movement.
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And so the Germans tried to do a pincer movement from the north and from the South.
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On paper, a pincer movement through the Carpathians looks great.
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They're deploying in a really large pincer movement around our central Plaza.
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There's a strong possibility that they'll attempt a pincer movement on our carrier group.
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The general devised a plan for a pincer movement to trap the enemy forces between two advancing units.
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In the battle, the commander ordered a pincer movement that successfully encircled the opposing troops.
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To gain the upper hand, the allied forces executed a swift pincer movement that left the enemy with no escape route.
Synonyms
2
7.5
Surrounding a place or army to cut off supplies and stop escape
1
6.5
A planned move to gain an advantage, for example in chess or sport
How Complete
- NSFW
47
8.1
- Specialized
2
7.5
- Specialized
1
7.5
60
5.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
pincer + movement
The meaning is an analogical/metaphorical extension: 'pincer' denotes a two-pronged tool or claw that closes from two sides and 'movement' denotes motion, so a learner who knows both can infer an attack from two sides that traps an enemy. However, this requires making a figurative mapping (tool → tactic) rather than direct compositional meaning, so it is not fully predictable without noticing the metaphor.
Etymology
Pincer movement comes from the image of two pincers, like a crab's claws, closing in from both sides to hold something. That's why it means a plan where forces attack from two sides to 'surround' or 'trap' an opponent.