Synonyms

pliers

British

/ ˈplaɪəz /

plural noun

a gripping tool consisting of two hinged arms with usually serrated jaws that close on the workpiece

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pliers

C16: from _ply ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Are they scrappy? Yes. Are they all working in bombed-out buildings with pliers found on the side of the road? No,” said Justin Zeefe, a founding partner at Los Angeles- and Kyiv-based Green Flag Ventures.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 1, 2025

Using pliers, a hot soldering iron, scissors and other tools, Terrell Glenn and Cierra Milton taught participants how to assemble and connect a large button to a battery-operated toy.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 22, 2023

“It’s this totally irrational hope that if I’m just a little bit better, I’ll be safe. It’s like having a pair of pliers on your heart,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2022

When they got home they desperately tried to get the note out with tweezers and pliers, but it started to rip a little bit.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2022

He drew a pair of pliers from his hip holster.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023