tug-of-war
noun
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
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
In it together Like a game of tug-of-war, some Detroiters aim to push the urban agriculture industry forward, while those on the opposing side are vehemently muscling for a return to the metropolitan way things were.
—
Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press, 27 Nov. 2024
The president-elect’s penchant for tariffs could be complicated by a tug-of-war between Trump and some of the Republican Party’s biggest stakeholders and his top advisers.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 27 Nov. 2024
Alabama’s congressional lawmakers are sounding optimistic about winning back the U.S. Space Command headquarters after a Biden-era tug-of-war with Colorado.
—Brad Dress, The Hill, 27 Nov. 2024
Between the lines: In a Cabinet stocked with a dizzying array of ideological rivals, the FBI has emerged as the final battleground in a fierce tug-of-war between MAGA and traditional Republicans.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 25 Nov. 2024
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Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press, 27 Nov. 2024
The president-elect’s penchant for tariffs could be complicated by a tug-of-war between Trump and some of the Republican Party’s biggest stakeholders and his top advisers.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 27 Nov. 2024
Alabama’s congressional lawmakers are sounding optimistic about winning back the U.S. Space Command headquarters after a Biden-era tug-of-war with Colorado.
—Brad Dress, The Hill, 27 Nov. 2024
Between the lines: In a Cabinet stocked with a dizzying array of ideological rivals, the FBI has emerged as the final battleground in a fierce tug-of-war between MAGA and traditional Republicans.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Dictionary Entries Near tug-of-war
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tug-of-war. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.
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