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
Wake follows four semi-estranged siblings who reunite for their father’s wake, only to clash with his overbearing side of the family in a tug-of-war over how to say goodbye.
—
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
The rules have been subject to a regulatory and legal tug-of-war.
—Maydeen Merino, The Washington Examiner, 23 Aug. 2025
After alerting a group of enemies, bullets or simple blows fully knock Snake down into a prone position which often results in a tug-of-war trying to stand on two foot while being repeatedly knocked down.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
Over time, this cosmic tug-of-war would leave behind only the darkest, heaviest remnants of dead stars, black holes, and neutron stars, along with a few surviving bright stars.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
The rules have been subject to a regulatory and legal tug-of-war.
—Maydeen Merino, The Washington Examiner, 23 Aug. 2025
After alerting a group of enemies, bullets or simple blows fully knock Snake down into a prone position which often results in a tug-of-war trying to stand on two foot while being repeatedly knocked down.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
Over time, this cosmic tug-of-war would leave behind only the darkest, heaviest remnants of dead stars, black holes, and neutron stars, along with a few surviving bright stars.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
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The Border War will be back in Columbia next week, the renewal of a historic rivalry that hasn’t been played in football since 2011.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
29 Aug. 2025
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Apart from maintaining his streak at the Diamond League, this win also highlights Lyle’s and Tebogo’s growing on-track rivalry.—
Paras J. Haji,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The move is the latest update in a years-long battle over the home of the military's newest combatant command, which is now based in Colorado Springs.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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In August 2024, Francesca opened up about her mom’s battle with Parkinson’s disease in a video on TikTok.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The decision stems from a class action lawsuit filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the financial struggles of disabled individuals who lost part-time jobs.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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During an appearance on Today With Jenna & Friends, Cummings, 43, candidly joked about her experience with postpartum depression after welcoming her son Henry back in December 2023, sharing that her struggles even inspired the name of her ongoing Big Baby tour.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The treble — a club winning their domestic league title, main domestic cup competition and the European Cup/Champions League — has happened 11 times, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich the only sides to do so more than once.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Budgets are tight, and even in this tiny economic niche, competition is steep because many sell the same products to the same audience.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The 27-year-old is technical, strong in duels, has a great engine to move up and down the pitch, a good ball progresser and reader of the game.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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After Fairview won 35-30 in a duel last fall, the two programs from the northwest quadrant of the metro delivered another intriguing bout in 2025.—
Matt Schubert,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In service of that goal, the government has abandoned due process in favor of media warfare, preemptive declarations of guilt and freezes on billions in critical federal funding.—
Peter Elkind,
ProPublica,
27 Aug. 2025
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His arrest, and the circumstances around it, have thrust the organization into a period of bloody warfare between rival factions.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
And if someone begins filming you during the potential conflict?—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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The country is also the site of the Western Hemisphere’s longest-running internal armed conflict, and constitutionally requires all men between the ages of 18 and 24 to undertake some form of military service.—
Rebecca Johns,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The footage appears to show Lawrence and Pattinson in a heated confrontation, while other moments feature a character wielding a knife.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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Even as liberal-seeming Amir invites Yusuf to join the Muslim Association, an informal organization of male Arab landowners, Yusuf’s father is killed in a night-time confrontation with the settlers.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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