Meaning & use
turfing
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“turfing” is a form of “turf”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitiveinformal
The act of forcing someone to leave a place or organization, often suddenly.
Grammar: Takes an object: turf someone out. Often used in the phrase 'turfing out'.
Patterns
- turf someone out
- turfing someone out of something
The club is turfing out members who haven't paid their dues.
They were turfing out the old equipment to make room for new machines.
He got turfed out of the meeting for interrupting.
noununcountabletechnical
The activity of covering an area with turf (grass and soil).
Grammar: Uncountable: you say 'turfing' not 'a turfing'.
Patterns
- landscaping and turfing
- turfing work
The garden needs turfing before the party.
Turfing is a common landscaping job in spring.
They spent the weekend turfing the backyard.
Word forms
| third person singular | turfs |
|---|---|
| past tense | turfed |
| past participle | turfed |
| present participle | turfing |
Common combinations
- turfing out
- The new manager is turfing out the old staff.
- turfing someone out of
- They are turfing him out of the club.
- turfing work
- He does turfing work in the summer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- evicting
- Evicting is a legal term for forcing someone out of a property; turfing out is more informal and can be used for any place or group.
- expelling
- Expelling is formal and often used for schools or organizations; turfing out is slangy and implies a more abrupt removal.
Word family
Commonly confused: turfing or surfing?
turfing vs surfing
Surfing is riding waves or browsing the internet; turfing is about grass or forcing someone out.
Practice
What does 'turfing out' mean in the sentence 'The company is turfing out lazy employees'?
Choose one answer.
'Turfing out' means forcing someone to leave. The other options are literal or opposite meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “turfing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.