tug of war

American  

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.

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tug-of-war British  

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

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tug of war Idioms  

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of tug of war

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

Explanation

Tug-of-war is a game or contest in which two teams pull hard on the opposite ends of a long rope. Any struggle that feels like this can also be called a tug-of-war. A figurative tug-of-war can be any situation with two well-matched opponents, like a tug-of-war between Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress or a tug-of-war between environmentalists and supporters of the oil industry. This meaning of "a struggle between two equally matched groups" arose in the 17th century, long before the actual athletic competition, which dates from around 1875.

Example Sentences

The opening set was a tug of war before Sakkari wrestled the momentum her way, winning the last 11 points to grab a one-set lead in 48 minutes.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

U.S. stocks closed mixed on Thursday after a wild day on Wall Street in which metals surged, the price of oil spiked and a tug of war erupted in equities.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

SINGAPORE—One potential beneficiary of the tug of war over the Federal Reserve’s independence: China.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

Then came a decision which would see the delicate tug of war between the most powerful men in the country escalate into a clash of wills.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

The tug of war ended almost before it began as the sack ripped and articles of clothing spilled everywhere.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall