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
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 tension will feel like a tug-of-war between the urge for control and the need for freedom and transformation.
—
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
The plan in Texas has ignited a nasty and partisan tug-of-war with Democratic governors in Illinois, New York and California pledging to return the favor and redraw their congressional maps to add more Democratic districts.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Specifically for sports and disciplines that aren’t part of the Olympic program, The World Games debuted in California in 1981, where first titles were awarded in tug-of-war.
—Blythe Lawrence, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
In our conversation, Beattie didn’t buy my suggestion that the US government is absenting itself from making much of a case at all in the large-scale global tug-of-war with China.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
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.
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
The plan in Texas has ignited a nasty and partisan tug-of-war with Democratic governors in Illinois, New York and California pledging to return the favor and redraw their congressional maps to add more Democratic districts.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Specifically for sports and disciplines that aren’t part of the Olympic program, The World Games debuted in California in 1981, where first titles were awarded in tug-of-war.
—Blythe Lawrence, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
In our conversation, Beattie didn’t buy my suggestion that the US government is absenting itself from making much of a case at all in the large-scale global tug-of-war with China.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share