arms race

American  

noun

1. competition between countries to achieve superiority in quantity and quality of military arms.

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arms race British  

noun

1. the continuing competitive attempt by two or more nations each to have available to it more and more powerful weapons than the other(s)

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Etymology

Origin of arms race

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Arms-control advocates counter that such an approach risks triggering an unpredictable new arms race.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead, it relies on on-device processing and potential partnerships to deliver AI features without matching the infrastructure arms race.

From MarketWatch

But to win that arms race, “you need government at the table,” he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal

But to win that arms race, “you need government at the table,” he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal

United and rival Delta Air Lines have waged an arms race of sorts for travelers willing to pay more for creature comforts and perks such as priority boarding.

From MarketWatch