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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The debate continues as the party wrangles with internal divisions and infighting in deciding what political direction to go in next. Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025 President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut bill, stalled for days by Republican infighting over spending cuts, won approval from a key congressional committee on May 18 to advance toward possible passage in the House of Representatives later this week. Susan Heavey, USA Today, 19 May 2025 The reader who perseveres through hundreds of pages of bureaucratic infighting and military history in the hopes of fresh insight into later, more familiar chapters of American intelligence will be disappointed. James Santel, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025 For Trump, the shifts were also notable because both came amid a wave of reports of infighting and distrust in the upstart administration. Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for infighting

Word History

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of infighting was in 1816

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Cite this Entry

“Infighting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infighting. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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