cannon fodder

noun

1

: soldiers regarded or treated as expendable in battle

2

: an expendable or exploitable person, group, or thing

celebrities who have become cannon fodder for the tabloids

Examples of cannon fodder in a Sentence

The poorly trained forces are little more than cannon fodder.

Recent Examples on the Web

Brake’s part is brief, while other cast members provide no more than cannon fodder. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025

Black parents in the city were angry that their children were being used as what seemed to some like cannon fodder. — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026

Ivy becomes easy cannon fodder, but A-Train comes through to save Hughie from a quick laser death. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026

Regardless, this much is true – Cobolli is French Open cannon fodder no more. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cannon fodder

• broader
• dodder
• odder
• solder
• marauder