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
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While things can change, getting deeply into the Western Conference arms race does appear to be on the Sharks’ agenda. Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026 Obviously, Allvin didn’t have a sense that Dallas’ acquisition of Myers for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2029 fourth-round pick would set in motion an arms race for right-handed defencemen across the league. Thomas Drance, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026 Somehow, a movement that believes AI is incredibly dangerous and needs to be pursued carefully ended up generating a breakneck artificial arms race. Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026 That has ended limits on the arsenals of the world’s biggest nuclear powers and raised concerns about a possible new arms race. Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 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 16 Mar. 2026.

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