tug-of-war
noun
plural tugs-of-war
1
: a struggle for supremacy or control usually involving two antagonists
2
: a contest in which two teams pull against each other at opposite ends of a rope with the object of pulling the middle of the rope over a mark on the ground
Examples of tug-of-war in a Sentence
the effort to get their teenage son to keep his room clean is a constant tug-of-war
Recent Examples on the Web
This tug-of-war, between fiscal and monetary policy, gets to the heart of today’s investing landscape.
—
Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The lack of clarity over the legality of such facilities has led to a tug-of-war between the cannabis industry and state regulators.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Together, this celestial synergy creates somewhat of a tug-of-war between reality and fantasy.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Amid a tug-of-war over how the rules should be amended, the potential framework that emerged early last week demonstrated that there was likely a path out of the gridlock.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
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Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The lack of clarity over the legality of such facilities has led to a tug-of-war between the cannabis industry and state regulators.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Together, this celestial synergy creates somewhat of a tug-of-war between reality and fantasy.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Amid a tug-of-war over how the rules should be amended, the potential framework that emerged early last week demonstrated that there was likely a path out of the gridlock.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tug-of-war. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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