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
In the annual tug-of-war over public spending across the sprawling San Diego County bureaucracy, public safety and social services trumped land-use planning, the environment and capital projects by $180 million in a draft budget released Thursday.
—
Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
To simplify things, there's a great battle of tug-of-war going on between President Trump and other world leaders.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Think about the long-term purpose of your company, and align your strategy with long-term values rather than short-term, tug-of-war pressures.
—Iese Business School, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Situation 2: Shein European countries are becoming rope in the tug-of-war between the U.S. and China, and Shein could give Beijing a little leverage with London.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
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Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
To simplify things, there's a great battle of tug-of-war going on between President Trump and other world leaders.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Think about the long-term purpose of your company, and align your strategy with long-term values rather than short-term, tug-of-war pressures.
—Iese Business School, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Situation 2: Shein European countries are becoming rope in the tug-of-war between the U.S. and China, and Shein could give Beijing a little leverage with London.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 21 Apr. 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 11 May. 2025.
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