tug of war

"Tug of war" is both a physical game and a metaphor for conflict or competition between opposing forces.

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Definition

(common)A game where two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, aiming to drag the other team across a central line.

The school organized a tug of war during the annual sports day.
Each team gave their all in the tug of war, trying to pull the rope towards their side.

(idiomatic)A struggle between two parties to gain control or possession of something.

There was a constant tug of war between the departments over the budget allocation.
The custody battle turned into a tug of war, with neither parent willing to compromise.

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "tug of war":