arms race

noun

: a race between hostile nations to accumulate or develop weapons
broadly : an ever escalating race or competition

Examples of arms race in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump has said the United States is in an artificial-intelligence arms race with China and others, making the industry’s voracious power needs a national priority. Timothy Gardner, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025 Apple Intelligence struggles since launch The company launched Apple Intelligence in October as the signature feature in its latest line of iPhone models and its answer to Silicon Valley’s AI arms race that kicked off with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022. Kif Leswing, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025 At first, Reagan escalated the arms race with the Soviets; U.S. defense spending rose 54 percent between 1981 and 1985. Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025 The United States is locked in a technological arms race with China, and AI will be decisive in this competition. Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for arms race 

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arms race was in 1921

Dictionary Entries Near arms race

Cite this Entry

“Arms race.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arms%20race. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

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