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

Bailey also faces a Republican base beset by conspiracy theories and infighting over the party’s leadership, something that led Tracy to resign as state GOP chairman in June 2024 after three and a half years in the post. — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026

Those charges were ultimately dismissed in a legal battle that became enmeshed with political infighting involving the Orange County district attorney’s office in an election year. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Democrats have little trouble understanding that the right-wing infighting over Carlson is about whether the Republican tent, which already includes racists, nativists, and vicious Islamophobes, is also big enough to include anti-Semites. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

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

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