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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of tug-of-war
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
Youssef has a history of intense and high-profile tugs-of-war with Egypt’s authoritarian regimes, the most recent of which has been in power since 2014.
—Dalia Abdelwahab, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
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
Youssef has a history of intense and high-profile tugs-of-war with Egypt’s authoritarian regimes, the most recent of which has been in power since 2014.
—Dalia Abdelwahab, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
-
The Aggies have their own rivalry game on the road on the final weekend of the regular season to worry about.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
-
While neither team made it to the World Series, their matchup in the wild card round added a new chapter to their rivalry.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Lima, Peru Reuters — Peru’s President Jose Jeri declared on Tuesday a 30-day state of emergency in the capital Lima and the neighboring province of Callao, saying the move was to battle rising crime.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Hubbard has a track record of moving the chains effectively, which was necessary in a game that was going to be mostly a defensive battle.—
Mike Kaye
October 21,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Stephens said there were signs of a struggle, and Thomas' body had been dragged about 180 feet into the woods.—
Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Passmore reflects on Shakur’s life and considers how her story highlights the broader struggles and resilience of Black activists whose work is marginalized in mainstream histories.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Only a few months ago Salah was deservedly collecting a stack of individual awards after a remarkable campaign which yielded 57 goal involvements (34 goals, 23 assists) in all competitions.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The Courier Journal caught up with Zipperle to find out why Cornbread Hemp took home the New Ideas Award in the 2025 Top Workplaces competition.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As the display came to a close, many fans expected to head back into the sixth inning of an intense 1-1 pitchers' duel.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
In the first half, England won just 50 per cent of their duels; Brazil won 80 per cent.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Gravely’s presence accompanies the USS Ford carrier strike group, which was deployed to the Caribbean last week carrying fighter jets, electronic warfare aircraft, and surveillance planes.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Narrative warfare sways public sentiment long before a bullet is fired.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Oct. 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
-
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
-
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
-
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 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share