TUG-OF-WAR Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

tug-of-war

noun

ˌtəg-ə(v)-ˈwȯr

Definition of tug-of-war

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tug-of-war The team modelled a gravitational tug-of-war between Venus, a hypothetical moon, and the sun, following this forward over billions of years. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026 Corbin was about to drag it back into the ring before Yachty started a tug-of-war for the belt. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026 Malick Fofana The drama might have largely passed Fofana himself by, but the tug-of-war for the forward’s signature was one of the sagas of deadline day. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 Still, their emotionally ruinous tug-of-war goes on for so many rounds that the movie limps toward the end credits exhausted. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war

Noun

The alleged rivalry between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle was seemingly dying down—but then Meghan and Prince Harry moved back to the UK.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Oct. 2026
The group will confront old tensions and determine if these chapters can finally be closed, or if some rivalries are simply too deep to leave in the past.

— Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of rivalry

Noun

Still, when the measles outbreak erupted, Bangladesh responded swiftly and initially seemed to be winning the battle.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Policy Policy Your guide to the Supreme Court, federal courts, judicial nominations, and the legal battles shaping American policy.

— Washington Examiner, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of battle

Noun

Hernández said the group wanted to use the platform to bring further awareness to the struggles immigrants continue to face in this country with an audience that notably skews more American than Los Tigres is accustomed to.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Hollywood executives at a panel featuring UTA, Gold House, Lionsgate and HYBE saw an opening for Asian talent and stories rooted in specific cultures, while conceding that getting projects funded is still a struggle.

— Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggle

Noun

The five-episode doc follows Five Guys’ global competition of crew members from local qualifying rounds to the ultimate championship.

— Mya Copeland, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Economist Thomas Philippon calculates that weakened competition costs the typical household about $300 a month.

— Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of competition

Noun

Snell opened the seventh by walking Andrew Vaughn and losing an 11-pitch duel to Bauers, who won the battle with a two-run homer.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The anticipated pitchers' duel between Yamamoto and Henderson didn't work out according to plan.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of duel

Noun

During the first years of the war, Russia’s nuclear muscle flexing and hybrid warfare failed to prevent Ukraine’s allies from funneling financial support, military aid, and targeting intelligence to Kyiv.

— Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026
Russian electronic warfare may have diverted the drone during a Ukrainian operation against legitimate military targets in Russia, ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said in a statement.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of warfare

Noun

The group’s plans for the Middle East have been affected by the regional conflict, which has put some expansion activity in the region on hold.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Given that the United States keeps getting mired in errant conflicts, Congress urgently needs to reassert its constitutional obligation to approve acts of war and oversee retrenchment.

— Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of conflict

Noun

Last year, a Senatobia officer threatened a Black woman with a Taser, pulling her from her car and onto the ground and arresting her during a confrontation over an accessible parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.

— SOPHIE BATES, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
The danger is that Ethiopia’s internal fighting, its confrontation with Eritrea and regional disputes over ports and water could fuel one another.

— KHALED KAZZIHA, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of confrontation

Browse Nearby Words

tugging

tug-of-war

tugs

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of tug-of-war

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on tug-of-war

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

vocation

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes