the act or process of installing Astroturf on a surface.
(usually lowercase) the deceptive tactic of simulating grassroots support for a product, cause, etc., undertaken by people or organizations with an interest in shaping public opinion.
In some countries astroturfing is banned, and this includes sponsored blog posts.
What does astroturfing mean? Astroturfing is a slang term for the act of faking the appearance of popular support for something, such as a cause or product. A person who does this can be called an astroturfer. These words come from Astroturf, the trademarked brand name for a type of artificial surface used for sports fields that’s supposed to look and feel like grass. (Astroturfing can also be used to refer to the process of covering a field with Astroturf. In this case, it’s often capitalized.)Example: One clue that orchestrated astroturfing is happening is that a lot of posts about a topic come from new accounts with usernames that look like they were randomly generated.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Astroturfing can make it look like a particular campaign was created by ordinary people, when in reality, it was made to support an organization that will benefit from the campaign.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2018
“It isn’t Astroturfing — they’re throwing seeds and fertilizer onto social media,” said Mr. Kelly.
From New York Times ● Oct. 9, 2017
“It looks like it has a bigger audience than it really does. It’s taking the concept of astroturfing into the digital age.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
“Money where your mouth is” marches, countering claims of astroturfing, could encourage marchers to publicly donate to a cause while QR codes could urge witnesses and bystanders to join in.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2025
Lead researcher Moustafa Ayad calls the practice an example of "astroturfing" - an online operation involving multiple accounts that falsely gives something the impression of wider grassroots support.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2022
Rick became a pioneer of astroturfing, a new form of fake-grassroots messaging; David wrote poetry.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 3, 2019
It also set anybody defending Microsoft on the net for the accusation "You're just astroturfing!"
From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.
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.
