turf war

noun

a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights

-

a turf war erupted between street gangs

-

the president's resignation was the result of a turf war with the board of directors

• Hypernyms: ↑conflict, ↑struggle, ↑battle

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turf war noun

A dispute over the right to operate within a particular territory

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Main Entry: ↑turf

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turf war UK US noun [countable] [singular turf war plural turf wars]

arguments between people or groups who each want to control a particular area

Thesaurus: arguments and arguing_synonym to argue_hyponym

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(also turf battle) n. informal an acrimonious dispute between rival groups over territory or a particular sphere of influence

Origin:

1970s: from the notion of a war over turf in the informal sense ‘area regarded as personal territory’ (originally the area controlled by, for example, a street gang or criminal)

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ˈturf war 7 noun

a violent disagreement between two groups of people about who should control a particular area, activity or business

•

a vicious turf war between rival gangs of drug dealers

 

Word Origin:

[turf war] 1970s: from the notion of a war over turf in the informal sense ‘area regarded as personal territory’ (originally the area controlled by, for example, a street gang or criminal).