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
This opens the door to federal preemption, raising the stakes in the ongoing tug-of-war between Washington and the states over who sets the rules.
—
Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Why show Franz playing tug-of-war naked at a sanitarium with a bunch of men wearing animal masks?
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
The lack of clarity over the legality of such facilities has led to a tug-of-war between the cannabis industry and state regulators.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Together, this celestial synergy creates somewhat of a tug-of-war between reality and fantasy.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
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Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Why show Franz playing tug-of-war naked at a sanitarium with a bunch of men wearing animal masks?
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
The lack of clarity over the legality of such facilities has led to a tug-of-war between the cannabis industry and state regulators.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Together, this celestial synergy creates somewhat of a tug-of-war between reality and fantasy.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2025.
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