tug-of-war
noun
ˌtəg-ə(v)-ˈwȯr 
plural tugs-of-war
1
: a struggle for supremacy or control usually involving two antagonists
2
: a contest in which two teams pull against each other at opposite ends of a rope with the object of pulling the middle of the rope over a mark on the ground
Synonyms
- ball game
- battle
- combat
- competition
- conflict
- confrontation
- contention
- contest
- dogfight
- duel
- face-off
- grapple
- match
- rivalry
- strife
- struggle
- sweepstakes
- sweep-stake
- war
- warfare
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
First Known Use
1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
tug-of-war
noun
ˌtəg-əv-ˈwȯr
plural tugs-of-war
1
: a contest in which two teams pull against each other at opposite ends of a rope
2
: a struggle to win
The racers were in a tug-of-war for the championship.
tug-of-war
noun
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
- rivalry
- battle
- struggle
- competition
- duel
- conflict
- confrontation
- warfare
- war
- contest
- contention
- match
- strife
- showdown
- clash
- dogfight
- face-off
- combat
- sweepstakes
- sweep-stake
- debate
- grapple
- dispute
- ball game
- friction
- disputation
- quarrel
- collision
- controversy
- nail-biter
- discord
- argument
- wrangle
- disagreement
- horse race
- dissension
- row
- dissention
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- harmony
- peace
- concord