tug of war
/ˈtʌɡ əv ˌwɔɹ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.50 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
1
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A game or competition in which two teams pull or tug on opposite ends of a rope trying to force the other team over the line which initially marked the middle between the two teams.
noun
A dispute between two parties, particularly an entrenched, back-and-forth dispute.
Example Sentences
- "[Gordon Burn:] You told me you had tugs-of-war with your sisters over small, common-or-garden, apparently insignificant household things, things that you felt meant more to you than the others."
- "To sum up, the dynamics of a "tug-of-war" between the supporters and opponents of the powerful and independent constitutional court dispel the traditional version of judicial empowerment as a struggle between “prostrong Court” reformers and antistrong Court” reactionaries."
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈtʌɡ əv ˌwɔɹ/
- British English: /ˈtʌɡ əv ˌwɔː/