home turf

Meanings

1. 1noununcountableinformalfigurative

   The area or place where you live or work and know well, which gives you an advantage over outsiders.

   Grammar: Often used with on: she was on her home turf.

   Patterns

   • on home turf
   • on your home turf

   The politician felt confident speaking on his home turf.

   Visiting teams rarely beat them on their home turf.

   She runs the best café on her home turf in the old town.

2. 2noununcountablesport

   The field or stadium where a sports team normally plays its matches, where its supporters gather.

   Grammar: Used in sport: play on home turf; compare with away games.

   Patterns

   • play on home turf
   • win on home turf

   The home team won again on its home turf.

   The fans cheered loudly on home turf.

   The champions rarely lose on home turf.

3. 3noununcountablefigurative

   A subject or field of knowledge in which a person is skilled and at ease.

   Grammar: Figurative use stressing expertise: on home turf with numbers.

   Patterns

   • be on home turf with something

   Give her a spreadsheet and she is on home turf.

   Debating is his home turf, so he stayed calm.

   When the talk turned to bridges, the engineer was on home turf.

Common combinations

on home turf

We feel stronger playing on home turf.

defend home turf

Local shops try to defend home turf against online sellers.

win on home turf

They won on home turf for the first time in a year.

leave home turf

The band left home turf to tour abroad.

familiar home turf

For him, the kitchen was familiar home turf.

Synonyms and how they differ

home ground

Home ground is the more common British phrase and can sound a little more neutral than home turf.

stomping ground

Stomping ground refers to a place you often spend time, while home turf stresses the advantage of knowing it.

backyard

Backyard literally means the area behind a house, but figuratively it names your close area.

comfort zone

Comfort zone describes a mental or skill state, while home turf names a place or field.

Opposites

Word family

turf noun

an area claimed or controlled by someone, or grass with its soil

home adjective

relating to your own place

turf war noun

a fight over control of an area or field

home advantage noun

the benefit of playing in familiar surroundings

Commonly confused: home turf or hometown? home turf or hometurf?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “home turf”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words