turf war

British

noun

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

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

From Barron's

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

From Barron's

Dogged management will also be essential to break bureaucratic inertia and turf wars among the services.

From The Wall Street Journal

Is a colossal turf war in the cards?

From Los Angeles Times

Newport Magistrates Court heard that the case centred on a "barbers' turf war" on Blackwood's High Street at about 14:45 GMT on 13 February.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023