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
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
The answer will depend on the tug-of-war between an administration intent on upending the status quo and those fighting to preserve a federal role in public education.
—
Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
The Trump administration’s framing of its detention of a Palestinian student activist as a defense against rising antisemitism is a move that launches, in effect, a new round of free speech tug-of-war.
—Nate Iglehart, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
Mayhem is a tug-of-war between genres, between pop and rock impresarios’ pet sounds — none more experienced on the job than the singer and producer herself.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
But this will be the political tug-of-war that will determine the future of Medicaid in the next few months.
—Dylan Scott, Vox, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
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Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
The Trump administration’s framing of its detention of a Palestinian student activist as a defense against rising antisemitism is a move that launches, in effect, a new round of free speech tug-of-war.
—Nate Iglehart, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
Mayhem is a tug-of-war between genres, between pop and rock impresarios’ pet sounds — none more experienced on the job than the singer and producer herself.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
But this will be the political tug-of-war that will determine the future of Medicaid in the next few months.
—Dylan Scott, Vox, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 25 Mar. 2025.
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