tug-of-war
noun
plural tugs-of-war
1
: a struggle for supremacy or control usually involving two antagonists
2
: a contest in which two teams pull against each other at opposite ends of a rope with the object of pulling the middle of the rope over a mark on the ground
Synonyms
Examples of tug-of-war in a Sentence
the effort to get their teenage son to keep his room clean is a constant tug-of-war
Recent Examples on the Web
Criticism from transit advocates This latest round of safety concerns is a snapshot of an ongoing tug-of-war between perception of crime and actual crime.
—
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024
The recent tug-of-war between the two behemoths is mostly about Anglo’s copper business.
—Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 14 May 2024
West Virginia’s Senate GOP primary is emblematic of the tug-of-war playing out in Congress between traditional conservatives and ultraconservative hardliners that is engulfing the Republican Party.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Talati’s feature is sensual, not salacious, and wise about generational jealousies and the emotional (and at times damaging) tug-of-war between a mother and daughter.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 9 May 2024
When Paris first hosted in 1900, croquet and tug-of-war were featured (that was croquet’s only Olympics appearance, while tug-of-war was featured five more times until the Games in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920).
—Matthew Grimson, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
Play non-aggressive games such as fetch rather than tug-of-war.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 12 Apr. 2024
The naming tug-of-war is raising friction between two of the Bay Area’s three major airports — neither of which are located in San Francisco.
—Kristin J. Bender, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Inflation has sparked other tug-of-war battles between grocers and brands.
—Alex Wood Morton, Fortune Europe, 9 Apr. 2024
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024
The recent tug-of-war between the two behemoths is mostly about Anglo’s copper business.
—Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 14 May 2024
West Virginia’s Senate GOP primary is emblematic of the tug-of-war playing out in Congress between traditional conservatives and ultraconservative hardliners that is engulfing the Republican Party.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Talati’s feature is sensual, not salacious, and wise about generational jealousies and the emotional (and at times damaging) tug-of-war between a mother and daughter.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 9 May 2024
When Paris first hosted in 1900, croquet and tug-of-war were featured (that was croquet’s only Olympics appearance, while tug-of-war was featured five more times until the Games in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920).
—Matthew Grimson, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
Play non-aggressive games such as fetch rather than tug-of-war.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 12 Apr. 2024
The naming tug-of-war is raising friction between two of the Bay Area’s three major airports — neither of which are located in San Francisco.
—Kristin J. Bender, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Inflation has sparked other tug-of-war battles between grocers and brands.
—Alex Wood Morton, Fortune Europe, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tug-of-war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tug-of-war
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tug-of-war. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
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