artificial turf
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Puzzle #300 · March 28, 2026
Artificial turf is synthetic grass made from plastic fibers designed to look and feel like natural grass. It was first installed in the Houston Astrodome in 1966 and became known as AstroTurf, a brand name that became generic.
The material is controversial. Proponents love that it requires no mowing, watering, or maintenance. Critics worry about the crumb rubber infill (made from ground-up tires) and potential health effects, higher injury rates for athletes, and extreme surface temperatures on hot days. NFL players have campaigned against artificial turf, arguing it causes more knee and ankle injuries.
The word “astroturfing” also entered politics, meaning a fake grassroots campaign—artificial grass, artificial grassroots.
The material is controversial. Proponents love that it requires no mowing, watering, or maintenance. Critics worry about the crumb rubber infill (made from ground-up tires) and potential health effects, higher injury rates for athletes, and extreme surface temperatures on hot days. NFL players have campaigned against artificial turf, arguing it causes more knee and ankle injuries.
The word “astroturfing” also entered politics, meaning a fake grassroots campaign—artificial grass, artificial grassroots.
Puzzle Appearances
The expression artificial turf has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #300 on March 28, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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