Sentence:  A united steel industry appeared to have emerged the victor today in a <WSD>war of nerves</WSD> to raise prices on some of its products in the face of White House pressure to hold the price line. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A situation in which opposed parties refrain from direct conflict but maintain a tense, contentious relationship in which each uses annoyances or intimidating psychological tactics to attempt to dishearten and unnerve the other.