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 funds who spurned their peers generated returns of around 90%, by one measure, demonstrating the payoff from waging such internecine battles.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
Just a few months later, at Turning Point’s AmericaFest gathering in Phoenix, that unity collapsed into an internecine feud between rival factions vying to define Kirk’s legacy and steer the future of right-wing politics.
—Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
The old divisions between Catholic and Protestant communities fuel ongoing gang wars and internecine neighborhood violence, and crime families with ancient roots cause mayhem in the scuffle for territory and dominance.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 27 Nov. 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
See All Example Sentences for internecine
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
Just a few months later, at Turning Point’s AmericaFest gathering in Phoenix, that unity collapsed into an internecine feud between rival factions vying to define Kirk’s legacy and steer the future of right-wing politics.
—Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
The old divisions between Catholic and Protestant communities fuel ongoing gang wars and internecine neighborhood violence, and crime families with ancient roots cause mayhem in the scuffle for territory and dominance.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 27 Nov. 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
See All Example Sentences for internecine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for internecine
Adjective
-
One night, Montiel's mother awoke to find her daughter's bedsheets red with blood − a result of hemorrhaging and bloody diarrhea, caused by the virus.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Bellingham received an elbow to the face from Eric Garcia which left him with a bloody lip.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
The franchise originally began with the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, created by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel and starring Gunnar Hansen as the murderous Leatherface.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
2 May 2026
-
His main antagonist is Jimmy (Harry Goodwins), a white supremacist who is the sheriff’s son and the leader of the murderous gang.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
At least 18 people are currently under observation at two of the nation’s top medical centers after being potentially exposed to hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the center of the deadly outbreak.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Fifteen people jailed at Rikers died that year, the beginning of an uptick toward the deadliest annual figures in almost a decade.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Internecine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/internecine. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
