as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the effort to get their teenage son to keep his room clean is a constant tug-of-war
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tug-of-war
This is a tug-of-war battle between you and your little sibling.
—
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 3 Aug. 2025
The Panama Canal and the adjacent ports have been yet another subject of the geopolitical tug-of-war between the countries, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio citing Hutchison’s Hong Kong ties as a national security concern.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 July 2025
Noelle also has a real playful side—her favorite game is fetch, closely followed by tug-of-war.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
In front of us, the sky splits, a wall of gray clouds thinning at the middle as if being pulled apart in a tug-of-war.
—Colleen Hagerty, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 3 Aug. 2025
The Panama Canal and the adjacent ports have been yet another subject of the geopolitical tug-of-war between the countries, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio citing Hutchison’s Hong Kong ties as a national security concern.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 July 2025
Noelle also has a real playful side—her favorite game is fetch, closely followed by tug-of-war.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
In front of us, the sky splits, a wall of gray clouds thinning at the middle as if being pulled apart in a tug-of-war.
—Colleen Hagerty, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
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The dwindling embers of the Boise State-University of Idaho rivalry will receive a spark later this year.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Aug. 2025
-
This fight is the catalyst for one of the longest-running rivalries in the story.—
Devin Robertson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Defense Department has awarded BAE Systems’ shipyard in San Diego a $64.1 million contract for repairs, maintenance and upgrades on the USS O’Kane, a Burke-class destroyer that helped protect the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier battle group during a long deployment that ended in February.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Europe is on track for its worst wildfire season on record as swaths of the continent — including France, Spain, Albania, Portugal and Greece — battle raging, deadly fires as temperature soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Neal has been inconsistent and has had some health struggles.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Having high profile people who presumably have access to resources talk about their struggles also is a reminder that these issues are hard for everyone.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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For the first time in decades, traditional sports face real competition for the next generation of fans, many of whom are trading physical arenas for virtual ones.—
Jennifer Acree,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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The inaugural Indianapolis Pizza Festival will take place right in the heart of downtown on Monument Circle, and feature some friendly, delicious competition with $5,000 on the line.—
Samanta Habashy,
IndyStar,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
While event data usually collects tackles and duels, that’s just players being aggressive, but the art of defending is around positioning and anticipating play — not interventions.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
-
But the Twins didn’t get the call, dropping a game that had been a pitchers’ duel between starters Chris Paddack and Tyler Glasnow, who each allowed a solo home run — Paddack to Ohtani and Glasnow to Royce Lewis — but nothing else in their efforts.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Busby makes not a single allusion, nor even a hint, at the wholesale destruction, misery and pain of not hundreds, but thousands of African-American families attributable to Hoover’s vicious stranglehold on the city’s South and West sides in the name of drug warfare for untold years.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
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But even in the face of evolving modes of warfare, airpower’s inherent advantages endure.—
DAVID A. DEPTULA,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There’s a lot of just creating conflict in stories.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
6 Aug. 2025
-
This is because subjective progress interpretations cause conflict.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Continuation of the war would mean more of Europe's time, money, and military aid is needed to support Ukraine, and threatens to lead to a direct NATO-Russia confrontation on the continent, with potentially catastrophic consequences.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
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But a confrontation with Doreen near the end that becomes a self-reckoning for Lynette undersells the pathos.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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