as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the effort to get their teenage son to keep his room clean is a constant tug-of-war
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tug-of-war
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
The state has been locked in a political tug-of-war over LGBTQ+ rights that gives members of that community reason to hope and reason to fear.
—Sarah Henry, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
But the real Battlefield experience is the tug-of-war around capturing locations in prolonged battles of attrition.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
In a violent Arctic game of tug-of-war, several polar bears in northern Canada had to fend off an overly eager—and outnumbered—black bear vying for a meal.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025
The state has been locked in a political tug-of-war over LGBTQ+ rights that gives members of that community reason to hope and reason to fear.
—Sarah Henry, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
But the real Battlefield experience is the tug-of-war around capturing locations in prolonged battles of attrition.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
In a violent Arctic game of tug-of-war, several polar bears in northern Canada had to fend off an overly eager—and outnumbered—black bear vying for a meal.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
-
Elizabeth’s determination not to settle the succession gave rise to fierce rivalry between the claimants to the English throne, among them Mary, Queen of Scots and her son James VI; James’s cousin Arbella Stuart; Lady Katherine Grey and her descendants; and Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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Spurs were inept and disjointed on Saturday, losing 1-0 against Chelsea in a rivalry the club don’t tolerate losing easily.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
As soon as a battle or a war has been fought, victors and losers alike begin to tell different stories.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Linked by the fire, a cashier, fire-fighter, district attorney and student battle to prevent tragedy, the blaze’s consequences still roiling two decades later.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Their current struggles are not a reflection of the quality in the dressing room.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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In the past eight years, she’s gone through some intense personal struggles, including a pill addiction, a suicide attempt, a lung cancer diagnosis and a divorce from her second husband Randy Bick.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Still, experts say there are additional challenges to ensure that insurance plans and other health care economics allow for investment into biosimilars and create competition as intended.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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The eight minor passengers on board, ranging in ages from 13 to 16, are members of a judo club (a Japanese martial art) from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and were traveling back from a global sports camp and competition held in Azerbaijan.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The return from injury of Gravenberch, who won six of his eight duels, was another welcome sight, along with Alexis Mac Allister completing 90 minutes for Liverpool for the first time since April.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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Much like the classic Tom Brady-Peyton Manning duels of old, the quarterback matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen — the two current MVP frontrunners — is can’t-miss television.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Data, competition, and the future of drone warfare The competition among units is fierce but cooperative when combat intensifies.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
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On screen, Lawrence and Pattinson hurl nonstop insults at each other in loud bursts of verbal warfare, a striking contrast to the duo’s quieter working relationship.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Raptors also played the Bucks, a 122-116 loss, with the home team bumping the game’s start time up by an hour to minimize the conflict between the two games.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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That is, some of the properties suffered damage during the war, but others were destroyed because the owners left the country during the conflict.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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However, the saga unearths new layers in the second season as Natalia shares her harrowing experiences with her adoptive parents and has a face-to-face confrontation with Michael.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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No one was injured during the confrontation, police said.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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