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
As the price of a carton continues to soar, interest in egg substitutes has also never been higher as folks everywhere continue to grapple with a grocery tug-of-war: to shell out (sorry) a whole bunch of cash for your regular food order, or to find something else to fill that eggy void.
—
Audrey Bruno, SELF, 20 Feb. 2025
Having a conversation without a clear objective is like a verbal tug-of-war.
—Jason Walker Psyd, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
The production made news last week when producers disclosed that the show’s title on the marquee would not be lit in time for the first performance, and possibly until next month, due to the LED bulbs being stuck in China, a victim of the Trump-China tariff tug-of-war.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025
Greenland is in footballing Siberia, so to speak, and geopolitically it has been thrust into a bizarre tug-of-war between the United States and Greenland’s government.
—Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Audrey Bruno, SELF, 20 Feb. 2025
Having a conversation without a clear objective is like a verbal tug-of-war.
—Jason Walker Psyd, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
The production made news last week when producers disclosed that the show’s title on the marquee would not be lit in time for the first performance, and possibly until next month, due to the LED bulbs being stuck in China, a victim of the Trump-China tariff tug-of-war.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025
Greenland is in footballing Siberia, so to speak, and geopolitically it has been thrust into a bizarre tug-of-war between the United States and Greenland’s government.
—Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
-
Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are off the injury report for this game, giving themselves the green light for this rivalry game.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Even today, gangsta and drill rappers make headlines right here in Chicago when their music explodes into rivalries and retaliatory murders.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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As a digital balloting closed earlier Sunday, Carney received the overwhelming majority of the 150,000 members of the Liberal Party than any other contender in the short leadership battle.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Whoever challenges for the Democrat nomination will have half an eye on the national battle, where the economy, security and national pride are likely to outweigh liberal issues.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
For Miranda, rock n’ roll has always been an act of resistance and a musical genre that has accompanied youth in their social struggles and artistic expressions.—
Natalia Cano,
Billboard,
13 Mar. 2025
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Each plate tells a story, capturing the struggles and triumphs of Black women in policing and justice who have broken barriers in their careers.—
Jonel Juste,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
As for his on-screen romance, though, the actor teased to TV Insider in October 2024 that there is more competition to come.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
7 Mar. 2025
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For the final 45 minutes, a group of six Benedictine male athletes joined to give the Eagles some outside competition.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Another ancestor had been on the Hudson River, in 1804, when Alexander Hamilton was being rowed back to Manhattan after his duel with Aaron Burr.—
Ian Frazier,
The New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Just 26, Cindric won the second Daytona duel Thursday night in a photo finish and will sit on the front row to start Sunday’s race.—
Edgar Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This is the kind of ideological warfare DeSantis has already seen repeatedly rejected by judges — conservative judges who actually believe in the U.S. Constitution and free speech.—
Scott Maxwell,
Orlando Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2025
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This shift not only improves operational efficiency but also underscores the future of warfare: adaptable, decentralized, and less dependent on fossil fuels.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The meeting touched on the need to strengthen Ukraine and European defense, after Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clashed at the White House on Feb. 28 over differing views on how to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.—
Amala Balakrishner,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2025
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The mineral rights agreement is a fantastic solution to bring about an end to this conflict.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Death Takes Me appears to have been a stepping stone to a more explicitly political confrontation with violence—one that refuses resignation and demands justice.—
Nicolás Medina Mora,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2025
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On February 28, the president had a heated confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which resulted in Trump pausing military aid to Ukraine.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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