pincer attack

noun

An attack in which two or more forces attack from multiple sides at once.

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Meanings

nounpincer attack (plural pincer attacks)

plural pincer attacks

  1. governmentAn attack in which two or more forces attack from multiple sides at once.
    1. governmentA set of simultaneous attacks against the flanks of an enemy salient in order to cut off and trap the enemy in an encirclement.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
pincer movement

Translations

Bulgarian кле́щи
  • кле́щи (kléšti)attack from multiple sides
Chinese Mandarin 夾攻 /夹攻, 夾擊 /夹击
  • 夾攻 /夹攻 (jiāgōng)attack from multiple sides
  • 夾擊 /夹击 (jiājī)attack from multiple sides
Czech sevření do kleští, obchvat
  • sevření do kleštíattack from multiple sides
  • obchvatattack from multiple sides
Danish knibtangsmanøvre
  • knibtangsmanøvreattack from multiple sides
Dutch tangbeweging
  • tangbewegingattack from multiple sides
Finnish pihtiliike
  • pihtiliikeattack from multiple sides
French mouvement en tenaille
  • mouvement en tenailleattack from multiple sides
Irish gluaiseacht phionsúir, pionsúrghluaiseacht
  • gluaiseacht phionsúirattack from multiple sides
  • pionsúrghluaiseachtattack from multiple sides
Japanese 挟み撃ち, 挟撃
  • 挟み撃ち (hasamiuchi)attack from multiple sides
  • 挟撃 (kyōgeki)attack from multiple sides
Korean 협격, 협공
  • 협격 (hyeopgyeok)attack from multiple sides
  • 협공 (hyeopgong)attack from multiple sides
Persian حملهٔ گازانبری
  • حملهٔ گازانبری (hamle-ye gâz-anbori)attack from multiple sides
Polish manewr okrążający
  • manewr okrążającyattack from multiple sides
Russian взять в клещи
  • взять в клещи (vzjatʹ v klešči)attack from multiple sides
Spanish movimiento de pinza, movimiento de doble embolsamiento
  • movimiento de pinzaattack from multiple sides
  • movimiento de doble embolsamientoattack from multiple sides
Swedish kniptångsmanöver
  • kniptångsmanöverattack from multiple sides
Cite this entry
APA

pincer attack. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pincer%20attack

MLA

“pincer attack.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pincer%20attack. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pincer attack,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pincer%20attack.

Source: pincer attack on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.