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
This is a lot to ask of a feral brigade of extremely bright, wealthy, and sleepless twentysomethings dispatched to the front lines of an arms race that their bosses started.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The pact's termination left no caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century, fueling fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race.
—Vladimir Isachenkov The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
Without a replacement deal in place, Sokov fears an unrestrained arms race is likely — not right away, but in five to seven years from now — with the nations pursuing more accurate, sophisticated weapons that are harder to intercept, rather than just increasing warhead numbers.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Experts warn the collapse could trigger an unconstrained nuclear arms race between the superpowers.
—Vladimir Isachenkov, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arms race
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.
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The pact's termination left no caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century, fueling fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race.
—Vladimir Isachenkov The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
Without a replacement deal in place, Sokov fears an unrestrained arms race is likely — not right away, but in five to seven years from now — with the nations pursuing more accurate, sophisticated weapons that are harder to intercept, rather than just increasing warhead numbers.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Experts warn the collapse could trigger an unconstrained nuclear arms race between the superpowers.
—Vladimir Isachenkov, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arms race
Cite this Entry
“Arms race.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arms%20race. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
