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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

The turf war over real estate listings could get a big new entrant.

From Barron's • Dec. 15, 2025

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

But right now my only job is to make sure this absurd scene doesn’t turn into some ridiculous faux girl-gang turf war, so I pull Violet away and step in front of her.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

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.