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 every point, Frontier calculated the invisible tug-of-war between inertia and friction.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
In the third quarter, the defensive tug-of-war continued until Hall sacked Maye and forced that fumble.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
After Eberechi Eze’s eleventh-hour rejection of Tottenham in favour of his boyhood club Arsenal last summer, the next transfer tug-of-war between the two north London rivals was not expected to arrive this soon.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Great Britain took home a silver in tug-of-war, just one of 41 medals British athletes won that year.
—Amy Crawford, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
In the third quarter, the defensive tug-of-war continued until Hall sacked Maye and forced that fumble.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
After Eberechi Eze’s eleventh-hour rejection of Tottenham in favour of his boyhood club Arsenal last summer, the next transfer tug-of-war between the two north London rivals was not expected to arrive this soon.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Great Britain took home a silver in tug-of-war, just one of 41 medals British athletes won that year.
—Amy Crawford, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
-
Does this sort of thing not allow narratives to develop, rivalries to grow, entertaining animus to fester?—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The heated rivalry between the Pentagon and Anthropic just hit a new horizon Friday.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The program currently remains in another legal battle, with people able to renew their status but no new applications accepted.—
Mathew Miranda
February 26,
Sacbee.com,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The battle pitted Ellison against Netflix, the industry’s biggest and most important player.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The governor was discussing his lifelong dyslexia struggles and has publicly referenced his 960 SAT score many times over the years.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
His propensity for long frames was often driven by two-strike struggles.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Nearly 8,000 images from around the world were submitted for the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026 competition.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Like other agencies that have slowly become agents in partisan political battles, the FCC continues to function as a prop rather than as a technocratic regulator focused on infrastructure, competition, and connectivity.—
Jay Caruso,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Lightning entered on a 22-game winning streak, focused on defense and led by a senior point guard worthy of a duel against the Knights’ star point guard.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Enter James Austin Johnson who’s up for a challenge and the two engage in an accent duel in a Western-style showdown.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The pilot and his electronic warfare officer also struggled with a wet runway at Naval Air Station North Island during their second attempt to land, when winds were creating a tailwind on the landing runway.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The key driver of this growth in defense is drones, a technology that is rapidly advancing warfare and could have ripple effects on other commercial technologies down the line.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images Four years of war between Russia and Ukraine are beginning to take their toll on the countries' demographics as the conflict puts women off — or prevents them — from starting or expanding their families.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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Europe’s is a false economy, spending less now, but risking spending far more if the conflict spreads in the future.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Police who investigated the shooting said Randall and another man argued before the confrontation escalated into gunfire.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
1 Mar. 2026
-
At least nine people were killed in confrontations with security forces.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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