[dawg-eet-dawg, dog-eet-dog] 
| 1. | marked by destructive or ruthless competition; without self-restraint, ethics, etc.: It's a dog-eat-dog industry. |
| 2. | complete egotism; action based on utter cynicism: The only rule of the marketplace was dog-eat-dog. |
Ruthlessly competitive: “You have to look out for your own interests; it's a dog-eat-dog world.”
dog-eat-dog
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Dog Eat Dog
When the market for a good or service is ruthlessly competitive.
Investopedia Commentary
Electronics retail is often thought to be a dog eat dog market. Blockbuster sales every weekend, bashing competitor products, and "lowest price guaranteed" tactics are characteristics of dog eat dog competition.
Related Links
Economics Basics Tutorial
See also: Capitalism, Perfect Competition
dog eat dog
Ruthless acquisition or competition, as in With shrinking markets, it's dog eat dog for every company in this field. This contradicts a Latin proverb which maintains that dog does not eat dog, first recorded in English in 1543. Nevertheless, by 1732 it was put as "Dogs are hard drove when they eat dogs" (Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia).