A tug-of-war is a sports event where two teams test their strength by pulling against each other on opposite ends of a rope. It’s also a metaphor for a hard battle, a conflict, or a standoff. 

Note: Some dictionaries do not use a hyphen in the expression tug of war.

Examples:

She hit the break before she actually saw the child who had fallen at the winning end of a tug-of-war rope.

The tug of war between the siblings brought out their competitive spirit.

There was a constant tug-of-war between the military and the president.

The children are trapped in an emotional tug-of-war between their parents. 

It enables us all to survive the constant tug of war of life’s problems.

Tradução: cabo de guerra, batalha.