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

Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, the region has also increasingly become part of a larger tug-of-war between global powers like the U.S. and China as both countries seek to take advantage of the deep lithium stores. Megan Janetsky, Victor R. Caivano and Rodrigo Abd, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 But as the legal tug-of-war rages, affirmative action continues to gain momentum in corporate America, where research begins to show that a diverse workforce is beneficial to the bottom line. Emma Kumer, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 In fact, Io’s entire core is heated by this cosmic tug-of-war. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 That started this game of virtual tug-of-war on ice. Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 4 Feb. 2024 Some of the events were legitimate sports (swimming, tennis, golf, volleyball) and others were frivolous (dunk tank, tug-of-war, Frisbee catch). Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 Players compete in a tug-of-war skills challenge event. Ben Morse, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024 Barry’s student-athletes played games with the SEED students in the Health & Sports Center, ranging from tug-of-war, obstacle courses, racing events, basketball drills and skills competitions, using the erg to simulate rowing training and educational guessing games. Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 The storied publication is now in the middle of a tug-of-war between 5-Hour Energy drink founder Manoj Bhargava, who controls publisher Arena Group, and Authentic Brands Group founder Jamie Salter, who controls the SI brand and licensed it to Arena. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tug-of-war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tug-of-war was in 1677

Dictionary Entries Near 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 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tug-of-war

noun
ˌtəg-ə(v)-ˈwȯ(ə)r
plural tugs-of-war
1
: a struggle to win
2
: a contest in which two teams pull against each other at opposite ends of a rope

More from Merriam-Webster on tug-of-war

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