tug of war

SEE SYNONYMS FOR tug of war ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an athletic contest between two teams at opposite ends of a rope, each team trying to drag the other over a line.

a hard-fought, critical struggle for supremacy.

Origin of tug of war

1670–80 for def. 2; 1875–80 for def. 1

Words nearby tug of war

Tu Fu, tug, tugboat, Tugela, tug-of-love, tug of war, tugrik, tui, Tuileries, tuille, Tuinal

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for tug of war

Many states are caught up in a tug-of-war between the will of law enforcement and concerned citizens and legislators.
On the Home Front, Drones Are Quickly Shot Down by States|Miranda Green|March 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was after one of his nights with Rachel that the tug-of-war over Josh turned deadly.
Mean Girls Love-Triangle Murder|Lynn Waddell|August 6, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The Obama team lets Congress take the lead and there, the lobbyists play their game of tug-of-war with the public interest.
Obama's Impossibly Complex Win|Eric Alterman|May 21, 2010|DAILY BEAST
In the novel, the tug-of-war over purity is never fully resolved either.
Have Washington's Rules Changed?|Peter Osnos|February 10, 2009|DAILY BEAST

In a tug-of-war, we have to put two men on our end for every one of theirs.
Uller Uprising|Henry Beam Piper, John D. Clark and John F. Carr
The tug-of-war now begins, either class being pitted against the other.
A History of Nursery Rhymes|Percy B. Green
It is the anchor in a tug-of-war who does the head work for the team.
Frank Merriwell's Return to Yale|Burt L. Standish
Two little boys were enjoying a rare game of tug-of-war with a living rabbit.
Furze the Cruel|John Trevena
When all the players have chosen, a tug-of-war ensues between the two sides.
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol II of II)|Alice Bertha Gomme

British Dictionary definitions for tug of war

tug-of-war

noun

a contest in which two people or teams pull opposite ends of a rope in an attempt to drag the opposition over a central line

any hard struggle, esp between two equally matched factions

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with tug of war

tug of war

A struggle for supremacy, as in There's a constant political tug of war between those who favor giving more power to the states and those who want a strong federal government. Although there is an athletic contest also so named, in which participants holding either end of a rope try to pull each other across a dividing line, the present usage, first recorded in 1677, predates it by about two centuries. The noun tug itself means “a strenuous contest between two sides,” and war refers to fighting, either physical or figurative.

单词	tug of war
释义	tug of war SEE SYNONYMS FOR tug of war ON THESAURUS.COM noun an athletic contest between two teams at opposite ends of a rope, each team trying to drag the other over a line. a hard-fought, critical struggle for supremacy. Origin of tug of war 1670–80 for def. 2; 1875–80 for def. 1 Words nearby tug of war Tu Fu, tug, tugboat, Tugela, tug-of-love, tug of war, tugrik, tui, Tuileries, tuille, Tuinal Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for tug of war Many states are caught up in a tug-of-war between the will of law enforcement and concerned citizens and legislators. On the Home Front, Drones Are Quickly Shot Down by States\|Miranda Green\|March 9, 2013\|DAILY BEAST It was after one of his nights with Rachel that the tug-of-war over Josh turned deadly. Mean Girls Love-Triangle Murder\|Lynn Waddell\|August 6, 2010\|DAILY BEAST The Obama team lets Congress take the lead and there, the lobbyists play their game of tug-of-war with the public interest. Obama's Impossibly Complex Win\|Eric Alterman\|May 21, 2010\|DAILY BEAST In the novel, the tug-of-war over purity is never fully resolved either. Have Washington's Rules Changed?\|Peter Osnos\|February 10, 2009\|DAILY BEAST In a tug-of-war, we have to put two men on our end for every one of theirs. Uller Uprising\|Henry Beam Piper, John D. Clark and John F. Carr The tug-of-war now begins, either class being pitted against the other. A History of Nursery Rhymes\|Percy B. Green It is the anchor in a tug-of-war who does the head work for the team. Frank Merriwell's Return to Yale\|Burt L. Standish Two little boys were enjoying a rare game of tug-of-war with a living rabbit. Furze the Cruel\|John Trevena When all the players have chosen, a tug-of-war ensues between the two sides. The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol II of II)\|Alice Bertha Gomme British Dictionary definitions for tug of war tug-of-war noun a contest in which two people or teams pull opposite ends of a rope in an attempt to drag the opposition over a central line any hard struggle, esp between two equally matched factions Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Idioms and Phrases with tug of war tug of war A struggle for supremacy, as in There's a constant political tug of war between those who favor giving more power to the states and those who want a strong federal government. Although there is an athletic contest also so named, in which participants holding either end of a rope try to pull each other across a dividing line, the present usage, first recorded in 1677, predates it by about two centuries. The noun tug itself means “a strenuous contest between two sides,” and war refers to fighting, either physical or figurative. The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Words related to tug of war tractor pull
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tug of war

noun

Origin of tug of war

Words nearby tug of war

Example sentences from the Web for tug of war

British Dictionary definitions for tug of war

noun

Idioms and Phrases with tug of war

Words related to tug of war