infighting

noun

in·​fight·​ing ˈin-ˌfī-tiŋ 

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

ˈin-ˌfīt 

intransitive verb

infighter

ˈin-ˌfī-tər 

noun

Synonyms of infighting

• discord
• strife
• friction
• conflict
• discordance
• war
• schism
• warfare
• discordancy
• dissent
• division

Examples of infighting in a Sentence

continued infighting has just completely robbed that political action committee of its effectiveness

Recent Examples on the Web

Washington — The Senate on Friday approved a short-term extension of a key surveillance tool, hours after the House passed the measure that punts the issue until the end of the month amid GOP infighting. —Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026

Counterintuitively, Zander and Petersson believe that prioritizing professional relationships has allowed the band to avoid the destructive infighting that often plagues bands made up of best friends. —Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026

The coordinated push underscores an effort to refocus voters on domestic priorities after weeks dominated by conflict abroad, rising energy prices, and renewed Republican infighting. —Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 12 Apr. 2026

Party infighting and frustrating recriminations around Democrats’ 2024 losses had made 2025 a slog. —Dan Merica, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for infighting

• alighting
• backbiting
• bullfighting
• daylighting
• delighting
• exciting
• firefighting
• handwriting
• highlighting
• igniting
• inciting
• indicting