infighting

noun

in·​fight·​ing ˈin-ˌfī-tiŋ How to pronounce infighting (audio)
1
: prolonged and often bitter dissension or rivalry among members of a group or organization
bureaucratic infighting
2
: rough-and-tumble fighting
3
: fighting or boxing at close quarters
infight intransitive verb
infighter noun

Examples of infighting in a Sentence

continued infighting has just completely robbed that political action committee of its effectiveness
Recent Examples on the Web Republican infighting has been a large reason Congress has struggled to pass a set of appropriations bills on the fiscal year budget as hard-right House members demand steep spending cuts, and lawmakers remain stuck over aid. Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The leaks hint at infighting and dissatisfaction in the network of patriotic Chinese hackers, despite the long-standing collaboration between groups. Aaron Schaffer, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024 The coalition built by Chancellor Olaf Scholz is creaking, with infighting, disagreements about policy and accusations that elected officials no longer represent the values they were initially elected for. Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024 Republican infighting has brought the Missouri Senate to a crawl this year. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2024 What Haley must do to win New Hampshire: Is there a path to victory? Awkwardness, campaign infighting: Fatal flaws that doomed DeSantis' campaign. Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024 Apart from council infighting, Gilbert’s buildout is a top concern for the town, which is expected to happen by 2030. Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 20 Jan. 2024 Many of Karamo’s supporters lost faith in her after infighting became a reoccurring problem in the party in recent months, the Associated Press reported. USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 Past efforts by the group to intervene in primaries have often caused infighting. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infighting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of infighting was in 1816

Dictionary Entries Near infighting

Cite this Entry

“Infighting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infighting. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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