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
• 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
• Wilson was in a tug-of-war with an ancient predator, and his arm was the rope.
  — Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2024
• The brain’s stress network operates like a game of tug-of-war.
  — Haley Weiss, Time, 13 June 2023
• But the tug-of-war between GaN and SiC is just beginning.
  — IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2023
• Gingerbread is known to enjoy the games of Frisbee, tug-of-war and fetch.
  — Teryn Jones and, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
• Play non-aggressive games such as fetch rather than tug-of-war.
  — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 12 Apr. 2024
• The result is a kind of tug-of-war between two of the economy’s main pillars.
  — Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2023
• 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
• 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
• The tug-of-war between Toyota and Ferrari showed no signs of letting up.
  — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 12 June 2023
• 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
• Players compete in a tug-of-war skills challenge event.
  — Ben Morse, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024
• In fact, Io’s entire core is heated by this cosmic tug-of-war.
  — Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
• Now, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has found himself at the center of that tug-of-war.
  — Silvia Foster-Frau, Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2023
• Soon, promoters added drag races, small jumps, and gimmicks like tug-of-war.
  — Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
• 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
• Events included dodgeball, tug-of-war and of course a flag football game.
  — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2025
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• There’s also often a tug-of-war between parents and teens.
  — Sarah Vanbuskirk, Parents, 26 June 2024
• 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
• Eventually, though, Rodgers won this tug-of-war and McCarthy was canned.
  — Rob Reischel, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Every nucleus lives in a tense tug-of-war between two of nature’s forces.
  — Quanta Magazine, 4 Sep. 2024
• The anonymous data gathered from our shopping stories shows that our readers also felt this tug-of-war between lofty aspirations and the urge to hibernate.
  — Venus Wong, refinery29.com, 7 Feb. 2025

Last Updated: 7 Mar 2025