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

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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 When not to play tug-of-war with your dog As beneficial as playtime can be for your dog, there are a few instances where rougher activities such as tug-of-war are not encouraged. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 There’s a tonal tug-of-war in this movie between naughtiness and aching sincerity. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 18 Aug. 2026 Here’s a look at the country in the middle of the Washington-Tehran tug-of-war. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 As the tug-of-war on regulatory jurisdiction continues, Smarkets is trying to cooperate with states. — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tug-of-war

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug-of-war

Noun

The Boot Bowl rivalry, which began in 2012, doesn’t have the longest history, but for fans in Burleson, few events bring the town together quite like it.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
Duane Davis guilty in murder of Tupac Shakur Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was murdered in Las Vegas, a jury has provided some closure in the saga of rivalry, revenge and retribution in the hip-hop world.

— Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of rivalry

Noun

The only intrigue at offensive line was the backup center battle between Hudson and Patrick.

— Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Naturally, with three more Salt Lake City wives at the Alter Ego Party, Gizelle is ready to further investigate why Lisa is in a battle with her whole cast.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of battle

Noun

While Craig will get most of the attention, TCU’s revamped offensive line also had its struggles throughout the day.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Those struggles have become increasingly difficult for the Blue Jays to ignore as the season has progressed.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggle

Noun

The revelation of the changes comes amid intense competition in the AI industry, as companies release updates to their large language models at a frenetic pace, each seeking to pull ahead of the other.

— Emily Forlini, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
Consumer prices rose anyway, because without competition, Amazon could charge more in the long run.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of competition

Noun

Also, Napoli will host Como in a duel between Champions League participants.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
If both top closers have to do more or less the same thing, namely, stay in contention, arguably what has to happen here for either to hit the wire first, then the next question is, who wins in a stretch duel.

— Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of duel

Noun

China has invested in cutting-edge intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (collectively known as ISR), as well as electronic warfare systems, drones, and missiles.

— HOLMES LIAO, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026
Turkey’s defense industry has demonstrated another step forward in precision air-to-ground warfare with the successful live-fire testing of ASELSAN’s TOLUN deep-strike munition family from a Bayraktar AKINCI unmanned combat aerial vehicle.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of warfare

Noun

Officials in Pattaya, where international tourist arrivals have dropped because of travel disruptions and soaring fuel prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, say the visit is expected to inject about $3 million into the local economy.

— Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
Households reduced fuel consumption due to elevated prices owed to the Middle East conflict, and cut domestic and international travel.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of conflict

Noun

Not long afterward, two dozen Border Patrol agents descended on Roosevelt High School as class was getting out, prompting a confrontation in which the agents deployed pepper spray and arrested four people, including a teacher.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
First was the question of how to manage Russia’s elites, many of whom were less than enthusiastic about a direct confrontation with the West.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of confrontation

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tugging

tug-of-war

tugs

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“Tug-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug-of-war. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of tug-of-war

noun

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