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
When the moon suffered from a tug-of-war between Earth and the sun, the melting would have caused lunar rocks and zircons to melt and reform, providing a younger age that doesn't necessarily reflect when the moon itself was born.
—
Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 8 May 2025
In the annual tug-of-war over public spending across the sprawling San Diego County bureaucracy, public safety and social services trumped land-use planning, the environment and capital projects by $180 million in a draft budget released Thursday.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
To simplify things, there's a great battle of tug-of-war going on between President Trump and other world leaders.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Think about the long-term purpose of your company, and align your strategy with long-term values rather than short-term, tug-of-war pressures.
—Iese Business School, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 8 May 2025
In the annual tug-of-war over public spending across the sprawling San Diego County bureaucracy, public safety and social services trumped land-use planning, the environment and capital projects by $180 million in a draft budget released Thursday.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
To simplify things, there's a great battle of tug-of-war going on between President Trump and other world leaders.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Think about the long-term purpose of your company, and align your strategy with long-term values rather than short-term, tug-of-war pressures.
—Iese Business School, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
-
She is locked in a bitter rivalry with the Bears, whose growing presence and destructive ways threaten the land she is sworn to protect, by any means necessary.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
8 May 2025
-
While their rivalry has had plenty of back-and-forth, this match may be the easiest to predict.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 May 2025
Noun
-
This, after an epic indoor fireworks battle — among other shenanigans — had the place looking like a warzone in videos.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2025
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As soon as hot weather sets in, chickweed begins to slow its growth, often dying out by midsummer, but don’t think the battle is won.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
Denver won Game 3 because Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray each scored at least 20 points, which went a long way toward subduing the struggles of Jokić.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
-
This news comes on the same day as the King’s niece Zara Tindall has opened up about the struggles experienced by members of the British Royal Family.—
Caroline Frost,
Deadline,
11 May 2025
Noun
-
The event is the world's biggest music competition, watched by more than 160 million people across the world.—
John Revill,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
-
Though Universal was late to market, its 2010 opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter land across Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando pushed the theme park competition to new heights.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
The first challenger, selected at random, must choose one of his or her neighboring opponents to go head-to-head in an epic quiz duel in the opponent’s category.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
10 May 2025
-
In each episode, the first challenger, selected at random, must choose one of his or her neighboring opponents to go head-to-head in an epic quiz duel in the opponent’s category.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
Both sides have ramped up cross-border drone warfare, often going deeper into each country's territory.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
With missiles tracking targets from miles away, nations are pouring resources into stealth, advanced avionics, and electronic warfare—reshaping doctrines for a battlefield no longer visible to the naked eye.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
The White House has said there is no conflict and that the president is acting in the interests of the American public and not his own.—
Susan Heavey,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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Beneath the surface, there are, in fact, some major conflicts brewing in Enzo’s life: He’s been waging a quiet war against his bourgeois parents (Pierfrancesco Favino, Elodie Bouchez), rejecting the typical academic route that his older brother (Nathan Japy) has successfully chosen.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
While Ratcliffe seems to thrive in conflict, the Glazers do not like confrontation.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
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Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
12 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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