tug of war

noun

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

2. a hard-fought, critical struggle for supremacy.

tug-of-war

noun

1. 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

2. any hard struggle, esp between two equally matched factions

Word History and Origins

Origin of tug of war¹

1670–80 tug of war for def. 2; 1875–80 tug of war for def. 1

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

As Alma reconciles this moral tug of war she’s found herself in, Roberts digs her nails into the opportunity of a lifetime, taking on the role of an unlikeable, power-hungry, exasperated woman on the verge with delectable aplomb.

From Salon

A tug of war is unfolding here, between airport authorities and one of Indonesia's most cherished pastimes.

From BBC

In one confrontation, Mears lunged at a man and took a mobile phone from him after a "tug of war".

From BBC

In another film, this tug of war between past and present might produce an overly sentimental final act, where the main character comes to terms with the former life that’s haunted him since he arrived home.

From Salon

In a number of European countries, national legal systems appear caught in the middle in a new era of deep divisions and suspicions in society - leading to a tug of war between populist politicians and their detractors - each accusing the other of using the judiciary to protect their own political interests.

From BBC