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
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Recent Examples of internecine
After World War II, the United States crafted a network of alliances in the region, hoping to keep Soviet expansion at bay, entrench its own military presence—particularly in East Asia—and curb internecine tensions among its partners.
—
Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
In Syria, internecine warfare has already emerged between Kurds in the northeast, former President Assad’s Alawite sect, and transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the organization HTS, which the United States designated a terrorist group.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
Discourse is solidly left-leaning, and disagreements tend to be internecine.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
The politicization of the IC comes with risks beyond just losing staff and fostering internecine battles.
—Peter Schroeder, Foreign Affairs, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for internecine
Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
In Syria, internecine warfare has already emerged between Kurds in the northeast, former President Assad’s Alawite sect, and transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the organization HTS, which the United States designated a terrorist group.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
Discourse is solidly left-leaning, and disagreements tend to be internecine.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
The politicization of the IC comes with risks beyond just losing staff and fostering internecine battles.
—Peter Schroeder, Foreign Affairs, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for internecine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for internecine
Adjective
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After watching in terror as a man violently attacked a police officer in an El Cajon fast-food restaurant, Iesha Booker checked for a pulse on the bloody, unconscious officer and yelled into the radio on his belt.—
Karen Kucher,
sandiegouniontribune.com,
19 July 2017
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Photos of the man in a hospital bed with a bloody mouth were also posted.—
Jonece Starr Dunigan,
AL.com,
14 July 2017
Adjective
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Maybe audiences in 2025 will be more embracing of a murderous St. Nick than in the 1980s.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
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As the icky Ick mutates from being a benign vine-like growth to a murderous alien entity, Hank might have a surprising, unexpected relationship with his student Grace (Malina Pauli Weissman) who just happens to be the daughter of Suvari’s Staci, his high school romance.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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The clinic helps prevent the spread of this deadly disease in the U.S.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
31 July 2025
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The man faces five criminal charges including unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Internecine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/internecine. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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