Synonyms of dog-eat-dognext
: marked by ruthless self-interest
dog-eat-dog competition

Examples of dog-eat-dog 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.
People sometimes forget that World War II was a dog-eat-dog struggle for resources – oil and uranium but also dozens of other materials, everything from rubber to copper. Thomas Robertson, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026 Rhyme schemes become secondary to dog-eat-dog dogma. Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2025 Stability and predictability would be the exception, not the norm, in a dog-eat-dog world. Alexander Stubb, Foreign Affairs, 2 Dec. 2025 Joy radiates in the room, and a dog-eat-dog environment where people cut each other off is replaced by open collaboration. Barry Levitt, Time, 19 Sep. 2025 Each episode is built around a tense, dog-eat-dog hunt, where each player becomes either a Predator or Prey. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 July 2025 Ditch the dog-eat-dog mentality and figure out how to combine their apocalyptic gifts against a common enemy. Natalie Zutter june 30, Literary Hub, 30 June 2025 The antics that ensue are amusing, but there isn’t much incisiveness in the increasingly farcical dog-eat-dog dénouement. Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 4 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dog-eat-dog was in 1834

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Cite this Entry

“Dog-eat-dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog-eat-dog. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.

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