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
How to unsnarl the emotions that play tug-of-war with our souls?
—
Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
So what do drivers actually want in this tug-of-war between cheap trucks and climate rules?
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
After the dust settled in a wild tug-of-war between Vanderbilt football and Georgia, Curtis committed to Vanderbilt on the eve of early signing day.
—Tyler Palmateer, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Dec. 2025
China is among the parties interested in bidding to build new port terminals on each side of the Panama Canal, marking another potential flashpoint in the geopolitical tug-of-war surrounding the trade artery.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
So what do drivers actually want in this tug-of-war between cheap trucks and climate rules?
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
After the dust settled in a wild tug-of-war between Vanderbilt football and Georgia, Curtis committed to Vanderbilt on the eve of early signing day.
—Tyler Palmateer, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Dec. 2025
China is among the parties interested in bidding to build new port terminals on each side of the Panama Canal, marking another potential flashpoint in the geopolitical tug-of-war surrounding the trade artery.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
-
Small and middle powers, particularly those from the Global South, are stepping into this breach and providing an essential public good that great powers, bound by their own rivalries, increasingly cannot.—
Galip Dalay,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
-
And there is a friendly rivalry there.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
With a high-stakes battle for the 2026 midterms looming, the Evergreen State appears poised to join the trend of states using congressional redistricting for partisan advantage.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Rattler won the quarterback battle in training camp over Shough, but after going 1-7, Moore made the switch to his rookie.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
His struggles are hurting the Broncos in the biggest moments, too.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
-
After all, there are signs that the economy is improving (unemployment and inflation are declining), but after the economic struggles of recent years, and with household debt still high, an additional financing source won't hurt, either.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That simple change would introduce real competition, allowing merchants to choose lower-cost options and forcing the dominant players to compete on price and service--just like any other market.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Two years ago at the Winter X Games, Kim became the first woman to pull off a 1260-degree spin in competition.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The projects included restoring two bread ovens at a bakery destroyed by Russian warfare, and purchasing a delivery van so that bread could reach more people.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Its utility, for autonomous command and control, has application across the seabed warfare domain and aligns with the UK Government’s vision for a ‘Hybrid Navy’ and the Royal Navy’s Long Term Capability Plan for MCM mission systems integration, according to the Thales.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Authorities said the display was likely the result of a conflict between criminal groups operating in the area.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Calvo said the city’s contract with consulting firm NCGA LLC raises potential conflict-of-interest concerns.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Frey said an incident Friday night that led to property damage at an area hotel and confrontation with police officers was an outlier to the largely peaceful events in recent days.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
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Ross argued that allowing local police to provide basic crowd control — rather than restricting coordination — could have reduced risks during recent confrontations.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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