as in bloody
formal
marked by usually mutual slaughter or destruction
a brutal internecine war/battle internecine feuds a political party that has suffered because of bitter internecine rivalries
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of internecine
The Council on Foreign Relations currently tracks almost 30 conflict zones around the world, including both internecine and international struggles.
—
Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Though Xi, 72, retains a firm grip on power, the lack of successors has raised fears of an internecine struggle, The New York Times reported.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Forgery is a really complicated, even internecine, phenomenon.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
While it is largely remembered today as an Arab revolt against British rule, it was also marked by internecine violence, with Husseini using it as an opportunity to consolidate control and murder those who threatened his rule.
—Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for internecine
Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Though Xi, 72, retains a firm grip on power, the lack of successors has raised fears of an internecine struggle, The New York Times reported.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Forgery is a really complicated, even internecine, phenomenon.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
While it is largely remembered today as an Arab revolt against British rule, it was also marked by internecine violence, with Husseini using it as an opportunity to consolidate control and murder those who threatened his rule.
—Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for internecine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for internecine
Adjective
-
As the internet blackout in Iran appears to be easing after weeks of protests across the country, the scale of the Islamic Republic regime’s bloodiest crackdown in decades is now being made public, according to activist groups.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
One of the bloodiest moments in that revolution, which deposed the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and led to the rise of the incumbent Islamist regime, occurred on September 8, 1978.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
After a competitive bidding situation that unfolded over the past few months, A24 has landed rights to the next take on the horror franchise that dates back to 1974’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which introduced the world to Leatherface and his murderous family.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
-
His autopsy revealed extensive damage to the white matter of his brain thought to be related to a traumatic brain injury, which some neurologists proposed may have played a role in his murderous actions.—
Christopher M. Filley,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Martinez and another man were charged in October with assault with a deadly weapon, accused of following the agents' vehicles and initiating the collision with Exum's SUV that led to the shooting on Chicago's south side.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The January 29, 2025, collision was the deadliest commercial aviation accident in the United States in the last 16 years.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Internecine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/internecine. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
