dog-eat-dog
Every person for themselves
Dog-eat-dog describes ruthless competition where people act selfishly to succeed, regardless of harm to others: It's a dog-eat-dog world out there.
The phrase evokes animals turning on their own kind—behavior considered unnatural, hence extreme.
Usually appears before *world* or *environment*: The startup scene is dog-eat-dog.
Covert betrayal of trust
- sabotageDeliberate disruption of operations
- connivingSecretly planning wrongdoing
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
- unscrupulousLacking moral principles
underhanded · deceitful · treacherous · scheming · exploitative · predatory · opportunistic · mercenary
Ongoing contest between opponents
- ambitionDesire for achievement
- contestOrganized competitive event
- victoryDefeating an opponent
- defeatVictory over another
underdog · challenge · cutthroat · rat-race · ladder-climbing · one-upmanship · outmaneuvering · corporate
Labored effort against resistance
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- self-relianceDepending on oneself alone
fortitude · grit · desperation · scrapping · clawing · fend · subsistence · precarious
backstabbing
Covert betrayal of trust
- sabotageDeliberate disruption of operations
- connivingSecretly planning wrongdoing
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
unscrupulous · underhanded · deceitful · treacherous · scheming · exploitative · predatory · opportunistic · mercenary · vindictive
rivalry
Ongoing contest between opponents
defeat · underdog · challenge · cutthroat · rat-race · ladder-climbing · one-upmanship · outmaneuvering · corporate · boardroom
struggle
Labored effort against resistance
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
self-reliance · fortitude · grit · desperation · scrapping · clawing · fend · subsistence · precarious · last-man-standing
- competitioncompete, competitor, contender, winner, sports
dog-eat-dogcooperative
Jointly operated enterprise
collaborative · supportive · collegial · mutualistic · win-win
dog-eat-dognurturing
Supportive care-giving
compassionate · caring · humane · altruistic · benevolent