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   Astroturf

   /ˈastrə(ʊ)təːf/

   noun

   • 1. an artificial grass surface used for sports fields. trademark
   • 2. simulated or artificially created public support for something, generated by an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign: "an Astroturf movement designed to trample any opposition"

   verb

   • 1. cover (a sports field or other area) with a layer of Astroturf: "the garden has been astroturfed for ease of maintenance"
   • 2. disguise (an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign) in such a way as to present it as having arisen from unsolicited public comments: "there's a suspicion that he astroturfed the campaign behind the scenes"

   Word Origin 1960s: from astrodome (sense 1) (where it was first used) + turf; Astroturf (sense 2 of the noun) arose from the idea that such a campaign is an artificial version of a grassroots campaign (see grassroots).

   Scrabble Points: 12

   • A

     1

   • S

     1

   • T

     1

   • R

     1

   • O

     1

   • T

     1

   • U

     1

   • R

     1

   • F

     4

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