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
At Big Tech companies, the offers are even more eye-watering as firms pour billions into AI, igniting a nonstop tug-of-war for talent among companies like OpenAI, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic.
—
Preston Fore, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
The methods may have changed, but this is a familiar tug-of-war.
—Stephen Mihm, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
There’s no tug-of-war with the ball.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
Washington is close enough to make every result feel like a tug-of-war.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Preston Fore, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
The methods may have changed, but this is a familiar tug-of-war.
—Stephen Mihm, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
There’s no tug-of-war with the ball.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
Washington is close enough to make every result feel like a tug-of-war.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
-
The Penguins showed a video tribute honoring Ovechkin and his longstanding rivalry with Crosby during a television timeout in the second period.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The couple has previously playfully acknowledged their rivalry.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Navy has 16 warships — 11 destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, an aircraft carrier and a littoral combat ship — in the Middle East out of a battle force of roughly 300 total warships.—
Konstantin Toropin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Navy has 16 warships — 11 destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, an aircraft carrier, and a littoral combat ship — in the Middle East out of a battle force of roughly 300 total warships.—
Konstantin Toropin,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Kennedy, for all her struggles, had a salty irrepressibility.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
In his first remarks in Algiers, Leo tied his current appeal for peace to Algeria’s struggle for independence from France, obtained in 1962.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Invictus Games are a Paralympic-style competition for wounded and recovering service members and veterans from around the world.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
His passion for off-roading and extreme competition now extends to his two sons, who have caught the Currie racing fervor.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After Jordan Romano blew two save opportunities against the Yankees, right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn gave up two runs in the eighth that ended a scoreless duel.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
There seems to be a mutual respect between the two sides, who are often complimentary of one another during and after their duels.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Olivia, a former FBI hostage negotiator, is dating Greg Focker’s (Stiller) son, and psychological family warfare ensues.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Of course, there are additional legal frameworks outside of UNCLOS that specifically govern behavior during times of conflict, such as the law of naval warfare, which does allow for blockades.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The leaders of China and Spain on Tuesday pledged to strengthen their relations and work to safeguard multilateralism at a time when the world is being impacted by various conflicts, including the recent war in Iran, during a meeting in Beijing on Tuesday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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The conflict had a 1% negative impact on organic growth in the quarter, LVMH said in a statement.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The confrontation has raised fears of further escalation in a waterway that normally carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.—
Gemma Fox,
Time,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Video circulating on social media appears to show a confrontation before the shooting that seemed to involve a large group of people.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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