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
Bordering Romania and Ukraine, Moldova, with a population of 2.6 million, has been embroiled in something of a tug-of-war between the competing influences of Russia and the West.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Take the ongoing tug-of-war between two houses with jewelry roots, Bulgari and Piaget, over laying claim to the most complicated timepieces in the thinnest possible cases.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2024
Johnson was nodding to the widening fallout from his administration’s tug-of-war for control of Chicago Public Schools, which landed him a rebuke from a whopping 41 out of 50 aldermen, including a majority of the Progressive Caucus, which has been his staunchest bloc of City Council allies.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 21 Oct. 2024
This tug-of-war is the main business of the opening episodes, playing off Bobbie’s defensive annoyance and Isabella’s feeling left out, unseen and unloved.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug-of-war 
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David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Take the ongoing tug-of-war between two houses with jewelry roots, Bulgari and Piaget, over laying claim to the most complicated timepieces in the thinnest possible cases.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2024
Johnson was nodding to the widening fallout from his administration’s tug-of-war for control of Chicago Public Schools, which landed him a rebuke from a whopping 41 out of 50 aldermen, including a majority of the Progressive Caucus, which has been his staunchest bloc of City Council allies.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 21 Oct. 2024
This tug-of-war is the main business of the opening episodes, playing off Bobbie’s defensive annoyance and Isabella’s feeling left out, unseen and unloved.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug-of-war
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 15 Nov. 2024.
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