rat race

noun

: strenuous, wearisome, and usually competitive activity or rush

Examples of rat race in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The ongoing rat race between AI companies jockeying for trillion-dollar initial public offering (IPO) valuations continues to come at the cost of scientific clarity and adherence to academic norms. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026

Instead of being driven by shareholders’ demands, VW managed to stay at the top of the global auto rat race while strategy was determined by trade unions and socialist politicians. — Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

However, lazy girl jobs might be the right fit for workers who don’t want to join the corporate rat race—and others could take on the gig as a stepping stone to their true passion. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 May 2026

But would Miller even want that rat race if any of them wanted him? — Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rat race

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