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

Complex international maritime law, competing ownership claims, ethical infighting among academics about how best to approach the undersea historical site, and the immense technical and fiscal costs of recovery have kept its bounty on the sea floor. — Brett Berk, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026

This implies considerable factional infighting at the top, along with collective insecurity. — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Kennedy's vaccine agenda has been stymied, in part, by the White House's infighting. — Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

The continuous infighting escalated into a civil war, which allowed Humayun to take advantage and recover lost territory. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 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