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
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Twenty or thirty years ago, stadiums entered a luxury arms race, and they are now largely designed for lavish fan experiences affordable to only a few. Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026 Russia is also innovating in the drone arms race. Holly Williams, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026 That set off an arms race for cartographers. Michael Van Sickler, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2026 The Bears' threatening to leave Illinois, prompting an arms race between the two states to offer the team handsome financial packages backed by taxpayer dollars, was mentioned by the congressmen as a prime example prompting their bill. Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 26 Mar. 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

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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 Apr. 2026.

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