pincers movement

or pincer movement

noun

1. a military maneuver in which both flanks of an enemy force are attacked with the aim of attaining complete encirclement.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pincers movement¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

On the city’s northern and southern flanks, where Russian troops had tried to encircle Bakhmut in a pincers movement, the Russians were coming up against Ukraine’s most motivated units and no longer had momentum, he said.

From New York Times

On the city’s northern and southern flanks, where Russian troops had tried to encircle Bakhmut in a pincers movement, the Russians were coming up against Ukraine’s most motivated units and no longer had momentum, he said.

From New York Times

Troops advanced in a pincers movement, attacking from the southwest and northeast, reaching at times the two roads.

From New York Times

There’s kind of a pincers movement there, where you’ve got the government saying, “You need to take down these protest accounts because they’re terrorists, and that’s our law, so hand over identifying information.”

From Slate

Pyongyang sees itself caught in a “two-pronged pincers movement,” he said.

From Washington Post