pincered

Seized by claws

Pincered describes something caught or squeezed between two opposing forces, like the claws of a crab or the jaws of pincers.

A pincered attack comes from two directions at once: The army found itself pincered between enemy forces advancing from north and south.

The word suggests being trapped with pressure closing in from both sides.

crustacean

crab

Pincer-bearing shellfish

prawn · shrimp · langoustine · decapod · chela · nipper · carapace · arthropod · exoskeleton · shellfish

grip

clamp

Device for holding tight

  • claspSecuring device that clicks
  • clutchMechanism linking engine to gearbox
  • squeezeFirm bilateral compression

grasp · grip · vise · compress · clench · nip · tweeze · constrict · crush · hold

surgical

forceps

Medical grasping instrument

dissection · biopsy · extraction · sterile · suturing · hemostatic · speculum · ligature · scalpel · incision

military

flank

Side of body

ambush · trap · outmaneuver · converge · squeeze · assault · maneuver · entrap · counterattack · blockade

Opposites
physical grip/constraint

pinceredreleased

Set free from confinement

freed · let go · ungripped · liberated · loosened

tactical/strategic position

pinceredescaped

Got away from confinement

liberated · freed · broken out · untrapped · unencircled

Phrases
Family

pincers, pincer

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G