Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🗺️ Area or territory 🌱 Grass surface 🚪 To force out 🌱 To cover with grass
to turf

to turf

3 7.0
To force someone out of a place or job
  • verb
  • /tɜrf/
  • UK
translation icon : echar a
  • The football club had to turf several players due to budget cuts.
  • get turfed

Examples

  • They had, after all, been close to being turfed out of the city when, from God's bounty, her husband found a place that enabled them to survive in this German exile.

    Academic text (1999)

  • And now you want to turf her out?

    Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017)

  • But this seemed less likely than that Keevan would be turfed out, since the Weyr's need was for fighting dragons and riders.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • We've seen executives at other companies get turfed for consensual affairs with with underlings.

  • We've seen executives at other companies get turfed for consensual affairs with with underlings.

  • Conversation and interest will burst into a supernova of activity and then dissipate to nothing; you'll mark your entrance to the Halls of Fame with a party, only to be turfed out by the bouncers just as quickly because your impersonators have taken your place as the host.

    Blog text (3)

  • They recently tried, and I believe succeeded, to turf out thousands of Africans in order to protect the identity of Israel, with some Israeli youths and 'liberals' being against such moves, much like students here in Britain would be against any kinds of deportations. But I gather avoiding these kinds of things is covered in the above article when it states that we would need to avoid such pitfalls occurring in the first place.

    Blog text (25)

  • The manager decided to turf the underperforming employee after repeated warnings.

  • After the scandal, the board members were turfed out without hesitation.

Synonyms

to boot out
vsto turf
  • Informal
15 5.8

Force someone to leave a job or organization suddenly

may also describe removals that are planned or formal
to chase off
vsto turf
6 3.3

Make someone or something leave a place by running after and frightening them

is general removal not necessarily achieved by fear or chase
to kick-out
vsto turf
1 4.0

To force someone to leave a place, group or job

can be used for removal that is not sudden or violent
to rout out
vsto turf
1 7.1

To force someone or something out of a place by searching

is broader and not limited to search or official action
to turf out
vsto turf
  • UK
1 8.2

Force someone to leave a place or job

is the same action but named without the particle

Antonyms

to appoint
  • Formal
580 3.2

Officially choose someone for a job or role

to install
  • Formal
69 3.9

To put someone into an official job at a ceremony

Idioms

on the turf
1 3.2

On a sports field with natural grass or artificial turf

Phrasal Verbs

to turf out
  • UK
1 8.2

Force someone to leave a place or job

Compounds

turf war
  • Informal
11 6.5

A fight between groups for control of an area

lily turf
8.4

A low evergreen plant with leaves like grass and small purple flowers used as ground cover

How Forceful

to turf
  • UK
3 7.0
to eject
32 4.2
to dismiss
70 3.3
to remove
∞ 1.5
to show someone the door
  • Informal
5 6.4

Surface Forms

turf infinitive
turfed past
turfed past participle
turfing present participle
turfs third person singular

Etymology

Turf appears in the phrase 'to turf someone out'. A helpful way to remember this is to imagine being thrown out onto the grass ('turf'), which is why to turf someone out means to remove them or force them to leave.