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turf war

British  

noun

  1. a dispute between criminals or gangs over the right to operate within a particular area

  2. any dispute in which one party seeks to obtain increased rights or influence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

The economy cabin is losing the turf war on airplanes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

A turf war over the online home listings business has been brewing for a while.

From Barron's • Jan. 1, 2026

Is a colossal turf war in the cards?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2025

A digital turf war erupted over Hydra’s displaced clientele.

From Salon • Nov. 14, 2024

The goblin/dwarf turf war was flaring up at the moment and some bright spark LEP elf had seen fit to put him in a cell with a gang of psyched-up goblins.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

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.