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

Example Sentences

continued infighting has just completely robbed that political action committee of its effectiveness
Recent Examples on the Web Each of the biggest three festivals – Busan, Jeonju and the BiFan fantasy festival – has previously experienced poisonous factional infighting. Patrick Frater, Variety, 17 May 2023 The locker-room infighting and letdowns that plagued other teams were nowhere to be found in Golden State, where superstars coexisted in harmony, records were broken with apparent ease, and the basketball’s beauty rivaled its dominance. Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 May 2023 An 'unflappable' behind-the-scenes organizer Chavez Rodriguez appears to be highly regarded by Democratic elites, who praise her organizational skills and ability to stay above the fray of political infighting. David Faris, The Week, 5 May 2023 Records of human resources complaints and interviews with current and former employees describe a workplace riven by infighting and political feuds that have undermined the home’s operations and continue to divide the workforce to this day. Mike Damiano, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Apr. 2023 Among them: infighting and finger-pointing among Russian agencies responsible for different aspects of the war, including the F.S.B. and the Defense Ministry. Malachy Browne, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2023 The infighting ahead of Saturday's vote was especially intense in Johnson County, in the Kansas City area, the state's most populous county and home for both Brown and retiring State Chair Mike Kuckelman. John Hanna, ajc, 12 Feb. 2023 Stuart’s progress was blocked by bureaucratic infighting between the stateside War Department and the American Military Government in Germany. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Feb. 2023 However, like a lot of bands, the infighting and jealousy was just too much. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2023 See More

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 29 May. 2023.

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