: marked by ruthless self-interest
dog-eat-dog competition

Examples of dog-eat-dog 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.
Each episode is built around a tense, dog-eat-dog hunt, where each player becomes either a Predator or Prey. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 July 2025 Ditch the dog-eat-dog mentality and figure out how to combine their apocalyptic gifts against a common enemy. Natalie Zutter june 30, Literary Hub, 30 June 2025 The antics that ensue are amusing, but there isn’t much incisiveness in the increasingly farcical dog-eat-dog dénouement. Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 4 June 2025 With or without his unusual backstory, Greenhalgh quickly realised that elite professional football is a dog-eat-dog world, especially for those who are still trying to prove themselves. Stuart James, New York Times, 31 May 2025 The risk was getting waived and wallowing in the G League with sparse crowds, commercial travel between remote locales and a dog-eat-dog team culture for as little as $40,500. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025 And yet, this authentic and downbeat immigrant drama questions what luck means in a ruthless, dog-eat-dog city where only the strongest survive. Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025 Which is great, because a match-up like that would be the definition of dog-eat-dog; the survival of the least unfit. Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 May 2025 The world is dog-eat-dog, and the United States needs to assert itself as the biggest dog. Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 1 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dog-eat-dog was in 1834

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Cite this Entry

“Dog-eat-dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog-eat-dog. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

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