An arms race is two powers building weapons faster than each other. Start an arms race.
Neither side ends up safer, which is understood by everybody and stops nobody. The phrase arms race is now used of any competition where both sides must keep spending to stand still.
1nounarms raceTwo powers building weapons faster than each other.
“The arms race swallowed a quarter of the budget.”
arms race is a competition.
Practised in History & Eras