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

Customer experience is in the middle of an automation arms race. — Amit Mathradas, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Notably, this means AI has its uses for both attackers and defenders, contributing to the AI arms race many IT teams contend with today. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

As affluent travelers increasingly refuse to leave pets behind, luxury hotels are escalating an amenities arms race that now includes gourmet canine room service, pet concierges, spa treatments, dog butlers and walks to nearby parks. — Luisa Yanez, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

On today's episode of Tech Camp, co-hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber chase the rapid evolution of cybersecurity, which has led to an arms race between hackers and defenders. — Emily Kwong, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for arms race

• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace
• blackface
• boldface
• bookcase
• braincase
• briefcase
• carcase