as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the effort to get their teenage son to keep his room clean is a constant tug-of-war
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Recent Examples of tug-of-war
Later this year, the DES collaboration plans to publish observations of how galaxies and matter have clustered over the eons, a process that reflects the tug-of-war between gravity’s pull and dark energy’s push.
—
Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 19 Mar. 2025
In New York, state officials, advocates and the health care provider community have been engaged in a policy tug-of-war over efforts to protect consumers.
—Michelle Andrews, NPR, 17 Mar. 2025
Boston’s mayoral race and the state Auditor’s tug-of-war with the state Legislature is teed-up for jokes at Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day breakfast.
—Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 19 Mar. 2025
In New York, state officials, advocates and the health care provider community have been engaged in a policy tug-of-war over efforts to protect consumers.
—Michelle Andrews, NPR, 17 Mar. 2025
Boston’s mayoral race and the state Auditor’s tug-of-war with the state Legislature is teed-up for jokes at Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day breakfast.
—Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
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Saturday’s meeting between St. John’s and Arkansas (21-13) is set to renew a decades-long rivalry between Pitino and Calipari.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2025
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Pitino had unknowingly helped give Calipari his first big break and started a rivalry that lasts today.—
Tim Casey,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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What else is going on Point Reyes’ historic dairies have been ousted after a legal battle.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2025
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Russia is also not able to produce large quantities of new advanced main battle tanks and the production of new equipment is limited.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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And for those wondering: Yes, despite her struggles Gay would still love to be a full-time actress.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
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The past year hasn’t always been easy for the family, starting with Kentucky’s loss in the first round last March and continuing through the move to Arkansas and the Razorbacks’ struggles early in the season.—
Tim Casey,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Start before your competition Start looking before your competition heats up.—
Phil Blair,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
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The commission has sought to bolster E.U. e-commerce sales competition while targeting companies selling unsafe and counterfeit products.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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With a brewing 60 meter sprint race between NFL champion Tyreek Hill and Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles locked in for sometime later this year, conversations have been running amok as to whether the crossover duel will actually field a competitive race.—
Cory Mull,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Snell duels with Tarik Skubal, the incumbent AL Triple-Crowner and last year’s unanimous AL Cy Young.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Other training events for the four-day exercise include air defense, anti-submarine and surface warfare operations, maritime patrol, and replenishment at sea, which are designed to refine the tactical and operational capabilities of the French and Indian naval forces.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
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The shift comes as China and Russia have ramped up displays of orbital warfare capabilities over the past few years.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Space Force is also interested in responsive launch capabilities, in-orbit refueling, and most recently, offensive weapons that could take out an adversary's satellites during a conflict.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Mar. 2025
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North Korea has sent approximately 11,000 military personnel to fight alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine in its first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Trump administration's decision to deport 137 Venezuelan migrants last weekend despite a judge's order blocking the move was viewed by some legal scholars as an escalation in President Donald Trump's confrontation with the judiciary.—
Reuters,
USA TODAY,
23 Mar. 2025
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Extremist violence runs from organized groups to lone attackers and from right-wing or white supremacist ideologies to leftist confrontations with police and the recent Tesla vandalism.—
Patrik Jonsson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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