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 Instead of promoting stability, this policy encouraged a regional arms race and war. MAKING PEACE No matter what Washington does, there will be resistance to its Middle East vision. Maria Fantappie and Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 20 Nov. 2023 Through the 1950s and ’60s, the United States and the Soviet Union had fought a high-altitude arms race, building bigger, faster bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Clay Risen, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023 Who today benefits from disinterring the arms race? The Editors, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023 This arms race within the industry would eventually settle into Coventry in the Midlands. Brett Braley, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2023 Prince Mohammed already has said the kingdom would pursue an atomic bomb if Iran had one, potentially creating a nuclear arms race in the region as Tehran's program continues to advance closer to weapons-grade levels. Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2023 Mark Kelly President Biden rightly says the U.S. is in a technological arms race with China. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 7 Nov. 2023 Viral arms race Although researchers have found satellite-helper viral systems in pretty much every domain of life, their importance to biology remains underappreciated. Ivan Erill, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2023 Men of Westwood seeks to keep UCLA at the forefront of the NIL arms race Oct. 7, 2023 Even the highlight video featuring dunks, hand-slapping and chest-bumps wasn’t accompanied by the usual blustery narration. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arms race.' 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

1921, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near arms race

Cite this Entry

“Arms race.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arms%20race. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

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