arms race

noun

: a race between hostile nations to accumulate or develop weapons
broadly : an ever escalating race or competition

Examples of arms race in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the arms race for attention that defines political podcasting, few figures have expanded their reach as rapidly as Owens. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026 Anthropic will make its new AI model available to some of the world’s biggest cybersecurity and software firms in an effort to slow the arms race ignited by AI in the hands of hackers, Anthropic said Tuesday. Sean Lyngaas, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026 Even before the first atomic detonation at the Trinity test, James Franck, Eugene Rabinowitch, Leo Szilard and others issued a report warning of the far-reaching consequences of unleashing the atomic bomb, highlighting the dangers of a nuclear arms race. Daniel Holz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026 The push also comes at a time when retailers appear to be in a same-day delivery arms race of sorts, with merchants turning to more third-party last-mile delivery services to get products at the consumer’s doorstep faster. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arms race

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arms race was in 1921

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Cite this Entry

“Arms race.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arms%20race. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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