How to Use tug-of-war in a Sentence
tug-of-war
noun-
Each song feels like a tug-of-war between the brain and the body, grief and glee.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024
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The world that was in the palm of his hand was in a tug-of-war with the world on his shoulders.
—Thomas Lennon, Variety, 31 Oct. 2023
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Wilson was in a tug-of-war with an ancient predator, and his arm was the rope.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2024
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The brain’s stress network operates like a game of tug-of-war.
—Haley Weiss, Time, 13 June 2023
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But the tug-of-war between GaN and SiC is just beginning.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2023
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Gingerbread is known to enjoy the games of Frisbee, tug-of-war and fetch.
—Teryn Jones and, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
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Play non-aggressive games such as fetch rather than tug-of-war.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 12 Apr. 2024
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The result is a kind of tug-of-war between two of the economy’s main pillars.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2023
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If there isn't tug-of-war at a sample sale, or a months-long research dive, does the piece still feel worthwhile?
—Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 July 2023
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Still, the tug-of-war marks something of a shift in how the internet understands the value of trends.
—Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 30 Aug. 2024
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The tug-of-war between Toyota and Ferrari showed no signs of letting up.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 12 June 2023
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Who remembers that tug-of-war, rope climb and live pigeon shooting were once part of the Games?
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024
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Players compete in a tug-of-war skills challenge event.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024
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In fact, Io’s entire core is heated by this cosmic tug-of-war.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
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Now, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has found himself at the center of that tug-of-war.
—Silvia Foster-Frau, Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2023
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Soon, promoters added drag races, small jumps, and gimmicks like tug-of-war.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
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The middle schoolers then learned about the pulleys used for tree climbing by playing a game of tug-of-war.
—Emily Sohn, Outside Online, 14 Mar. 2023
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Events included dodgeball, tug-of-war and of course a flag football game.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2025
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Trying to play tug-of-war with the rip and swimming straight to shore will only tire a swimmer out and increase the chance of drowning.
—Cara Korte, CBS News, 6 June 2023
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In the photo above, Thomas can be seen in a white polo shirt alongside Crow, playing a game that appears to be tug-of-war.
—Chronicle Staff, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2023
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The thing is, the moose is heavy—even more so now that its fur is bogged down by water—and their best effort of tug-of-war with the animal is in vain.
—Radhika Menon, ELLE, 15 Apr. 2023
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The tug-of-war lasted for a short while before Courtright managed to muscle the fish up beside his boat.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 30 May 2024
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There’s also often a tug-of-war between parents and teens.
—Sarah Vanbuskirk, Parents, 26 June 2024
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Jonathan Macey, a professor at Yale Law School, said this divide helps explain the tug-of-war in the marketplace.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
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Eventually, though, Rodgers won this tug-of-war and McCarthy was canned.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
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Zurawski told senators that she and others have been caught in the middle of the legal tug-of-war.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 26 Apr. 2023
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Said drawers are designed to open and close smoothly, so don’t worry about playing tug-of-war.
—Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023
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The third round saw contestants join together in a group to compete against another in a game of tug-of-war.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
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Every nucleus lives in a tense tug-of-war between two of nature’s forces.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 Sep. 2024
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Schumer has put himself right in the middle of his caucus' tug-of-war over immigration.
—Stephen Neukam, Axios, 23 Jan. 2025
Some of 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.
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