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
The shortfall inspired a tug-of-war over coveted state dollars that has caused rifts between the governor and some of his closest allies at the Capitol.
—
Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2024
Loading your audio article SANTA CLARA – Brandon Aiyuk has issued another cryptic signal in his contract tug-of-war with the 49ers, five weeks before training camp begins, with or without him.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 17 June 2024
Capricorn December 22 – January 19 Coming together with people who matter shouldn’t feel like a game of tug-of-war.
—Tarot.com, Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2024
Brandon Aiyuk has issued another cryptic signal in his contract tug-of-war with the 49ers, five weeks before training camp begins, with or without him.
—Cam Inman, Sacramento Bee, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug-of-war 
Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2024
Loading your audio article SANTA CLARA – Brandon Aiyuk has issued another cryptic signal in his contract tug-of-war with the 49ers, five weeks before training camp begins, with or without him.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 17 June 2024
Capricorn December 22 – January 19 Coming together with people who matter shouldn’t feel like a game of tug-of-war.
—Tarot.com, Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2024
Brandon Aiyuk has issued another cryptic signal in his contract tug-of-war with the 49ers, five weeks before training camp begins, with or without him.
—Cam Inman, Sacramento Bee, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug-of-war
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tug-of-war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 2 Jul. 2024.
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