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
So my creative directors came up with this concept where there’s, like, this really beautiful tug-of-war between me and the microphone cable.
—
Alex Suskind,
Pitchfork,
26 June 2026
In addition, the tug-of-war over the Strait of Hormuz will drag on.
—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
And so, in the constant tug-of-war between tradition and innovation, the latest design heaves toward history, meeting the future’s infrastructure needs in comfortingly familiar costume.
—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
8 June 2026
The self-magnetization is driven by a thermal tug-of-war.
—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
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Alex Suskind,
Pitchfork,
26 June 2026
In addition, the tug-of-war over the Strait of Hormuz will drag on.
—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
And so, in the constant tug-of-war between tradition and innovation, the latest design heaves toward history, meeting the future’s infrastructure needs in comfortingly familiar costume.
—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
8 June 2026
The self-magnetization is driven by a thermal tug-of-war.
—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
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 30 Jun. 2026.
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