noun
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boxing combat at close quarters in which proper blows are inhibited and the fighters try to wear down each other's strength
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intense competition, as between members of the same organization, esp when kept secret from outsiders
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of infighting
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their leadership.”
From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026
“This is more a reflection of a truly incongruous U.S. stance than infighting in Tehran,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
Counterintuitively, Zander and Petersson believe that prioritizing professional relationships has allowed the band to avoid the destructive infighting that often plagues bands made up of best friends.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
The 1988 presidential campaign of Alexander Haig, a former four-star general who served as Ronald Reagan’s first secretary of state, flamed out amid GOP infighting over the Iran–Contra affair.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
After inevitable bureaucratic infighting and logistics problems, the Global Fund money—$1+ million for the central plateau, spread over five years—became available.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
