Illustration of vise
- vise 1
1
: any of various tools with two jaws for holding work that close usually by a screw, lever, or cam
2
: something likened to a vise
economic vise of slow growth and rampant price increases—
David Milne
David Milne
vised; vising
: to hold, force, or squeeze with or as if with a vise
Examples of vise in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebFrank Aum, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2022
Asked whether leading Berkeley felt like being caught in a vise, Dr. Christ nodded and smiled a tight smile.
—Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 6 June 2024
Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024
McDonald’s left leg was vised between two plates of armored steel.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for vise 
Noun
Other than the brief negotiations in 2011–12 and 2018–19, three successive U.S. administrations have relied on a global pressure campaign to tighten the vise on North Korea while stopping short of instigating war.
—Frank Aum, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2022
Asked whether leading Berkeley felt like being caught in a vise, Dr. Christ nodded and smiled a tight smile.
—Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 6 June 2024
Verb
Another way is if the appointee wins the special election but not the regular election, or vise versa.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024
McDonald’s left leg was vised between two plates of armored steel.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for vise
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Vise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vise. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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