1
: something fed to domestic animals
especially
: coarse food for cattle, horses, or sheep
2
: inferior or readily available material used to supply a heavy demand
fodder for tabloids
This sort of breezy plot line has become cheap fodder for novelists and screenwriters …—
Sally Bedell
Sally Bedell
fodder
transitive verb
foth·er
ˈfät͟hə(r)
variants
or fodder
plural -s
fother
3 of 4"
dialectal variant of fodder
"
-ed/-ing/-s
: to cover (a sail or piece of canvas) especially with oakum or rope yarn for use in temporarily stopping a leak in the hull of a ship
Examples of fodder in a Sentence
Noun (1)
His antics always make good fodder for the gossip columnists.
She often used her friends' problems as fodder for her novels.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Faris,
TheWeek,
6 July 2026
Though Rutinel does not identify as a socialist, Kiros’s ascendancy — the first major socialist victory outside of New York this cycle — is likely to provide ample fodder for Evans and his allies in the heavily Latino district.
—
James A. Downs,
The Washington Examiner,
1 July 2026
The lawsuits included one filed against the club by real estate broker Archie Drury and his wife, supermodel Karolina Kurkova, which became tabloid fodder when it was filed in February 2025.
—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2026
Multiple hospital stays became fodder for school bullies, who also ridiculed his size.
—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fodder
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Noun
The country’s tragic 21st-century travails provide much of the fodder for the couple’s drama in director Cyril Aris’ moving film, including whether to stay or emigrate, with touches of magical realism and whimsy providing levity.
—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
6 July 2026
Though Rutinel does not identify as a socialist, Kiros’s ascendancy — the first major socialist victory outside of New York this cycle — is likely to provide ample fodder for Evans and his allies in the heavily Latino district.
—
James A. Downs,
The Washington Examiner,
1 July 2026
The lawsuits included one filed against the club by real estate broker Archie Drury and his wife, supermodel Karolina Kurkova, which became tabloid fodder when it was filed in February 2025.
—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2026
Multiple hospital stays became fodder for school bullies, who also ridiculed his size.
—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fodder
Cite this Entry
“Fodder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fodder. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fodder
noun
fod·der
ˈfäd-ər 
: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock
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