arms race

noun

: a race between hostile nations to accumulate or develop weapons
broadly : an ever escalating race or competition

Examples of arms race in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Arms competition is a symptom of great-power enmity, but enmity alone does not induce an arms race. — Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026 While Microsoft, Google, Meta, Amazon, and Oracle burn through tens of billions in capital expenditures to construct massive data centers, Apple has avoided the hyperscaler arms race. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 Resistance rates will only continue to increase, and scientists are in an arms race in trying to figure out new counter measures and ways to fight disease caused by these pathogens. — Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Plants make toxic compounds, insects figure out ways to store or use those toxins, and the whole arms race plays out over millions of years. — Prayan Pokharel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arms race

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arms race was in 1921

Rhymes for arms race

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Browse Nearby Words

arm spread
arms race
arm stake
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Cite this Entry

“Arms race.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arms%20race. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on arms race

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about arms race

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