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.
In fact, the practice has turned into something of a tuition arms race at prestigious schools and major public institutions. — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 On today's episode of Tech Camp, co-hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber chase the rapid evolution of cybersecurity, which has led to an arms race between hackers and defenders. — Emily Kwong, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026 Unlike its hyperscaler peers, however, Apple has largely avoided the AI spending arms race. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026 Though Apple has been late to the AI game, investors have come to appreciate that the company is not locked in the arms race that has swelled capital expenditures at Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 31 July 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 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on arms race

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about arms race

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