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
So there's a real tug-of-war between being grateful, and feeling destitute and rudderless.
—
Bill Chappell, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
Blake’s inner turmoil is reflected in the film’s (lack of) tension between intergenerational trauma and cheap suspense, which is less a tug-of-war than an unconditional surrender.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2025
While international law recognizes no national sovereignty in international waters, that has done little to end the diplomatic tug-of-war over the pole.
—Scott L. Montgomery, The Conversation, 14 Jan. 2025
Now, when Venus in Pisces squares Jupiter retrograde in Gemini, this Mutable synergy creates tension that can feel like a tug-of-war between desire and logic, your ideal scenario and the actual facts surrounding a situation.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tug-of-war 
Bill Chappell, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
Blake’s inner turmoil is reflected in the film’s (lack of) tension between intergenerational trauma and cheap suspense, which is less a tug-of-war than an unconditional surrender.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2025
While international law recognizes no national sovereignty in international waters, that has done little to end the diplomatic tug-of-war over the pole.
—Scott L. Montgomery, The Conversation, 14 Jan. 2025
Now, when Venus in Pisces squares Jupiter retrograde in Gemini, this Mutable synergy creates tension that can feel like a tug-of-war between desire and logic, your ideal scenario and the actual facts surrounding a situation.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tug-of-war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war
Noun
-
While opposed by every government in the region, ISIS-K has exploited insecurity and international rivalries to entrench itself as one of the world's deadliest and most unpredictable non-state actors in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
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But Kendrick did not have to straddle a white-hot rivalry like Velazquez.—
Matt Baker,
The Athletic,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, more borrower-friendly regulations for the Borrower Defense to Repayment program remain stuck in a legal battle.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
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Personal battles Trump, who has been convicted by a jury of his peers and was indicted four times after his first term, referred to his legal troubles during his speech.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Gaza conflict did raise the Palestinian issue — the long struggle for independence after decades of Israeli occupation and repression — on the world stage.—
Tracy Wilkinson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2025
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Sly Stone's struggles with cocaine have been well documented, even, at times, eclipsing his achievements as an artist.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Making better use of A.I., Mr. Burns said, is crucial to the U.S. competition with China.—
Julian E. Barnes,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2025
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Howe’s men will share the club record of nine consecutive victories across all competitions with Kevin Keegan’s vintage (May to September 1994) and Rafa Benitez’s Championship-winning side (September to November 2016).—
Chris Waugh,
The Athletic,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The game figures to be tight, and for a while now, coach Andy Reid’s Chiefs have been winning such duels.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Jan. 2025
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His brawn did not correlate with a ranking in the bottom seven per cent of defenders from Europe’s top five leagues for aerial duels won and in the bottom one per cent for tackles won.—
Jacob Tanswell,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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His position once again puts him in charge of the world’s most powerful military, which -- often at his discretion -- can either engage in lethal warfare or act as a deterrent and a force for peace.—
Ian Pannell,
ABC News,
22 Jan. 2025
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Author of 'Swarm Troopers: How small drones will conquer the world,' following cutting-edge military technology in general and the drone warfare revolution in particular.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Their conflict has killed more than 28,000 people, forced millions to flee their homes and left some families eating grass in a desperate attempt to survive as famine sweeps parts of the country.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2025
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Most aggravating is the way the film neatly resolves all of its conflicts for the end.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2025
Noun
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An Israeli soldier was injured in the confrontation, the military said.—
Matthew Mpoke Bigg,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
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The two still-unidentified men reportedly talked about being armed and tried to provoke a confrontation.—
Robert Salonga,
The Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near tug-of-war
Cite this Entry
“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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