tug-of-war

noun

ˌtəg-ə(v)-ˈwȯr 

plural tugs-of-war

1

: a struggle for supremacy or control usually involving two antagonists

2

: a contest in which two teams pull against each other at opposite ends of a rope with the object of pulling the middle of the rope over a mark on the ground

Synonyms

• rivalry
• battle
• struggle
• competition
• duel
• warfare
• conflict
• confrontation
• war
• contention

Examples of tug-of-war in a Sentence

the effort to get their teenage son to keep his room clean is a constant tug-of-war

Recent Examples on the Web

The tug-of-war over space shuttle Discovery is becoming more volatile. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2025

For decades, America’s healthcare system has been caught in a tug-of-war between cost containment and patient care. —Jason Phillips, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025

This legal tug-of-war underscores the importance of Denver’s decision. —Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025

Caught in a gravitational tug-of-war between Jupiter’s intense gravity and that of other nearby large moons, Io’s innards are kneaded like dough by tidal forces, generating immense heat that powers enormous eruptions. —Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tug-of-war

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore

Kids Definition

tug-of-war

noun

ˌtəg-ə(v)-ˈwȯ(ə)r

plural tugs-of-war

1

: a struggle to win

2

: a contest in which two teams pull against each other at opposite ends of a rope