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
Examples of fodder in a Sentence
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
While interesting fodder for further research, these results can’t be applied directly to humans, experts said.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Weeks after the Super Bowl, during which Fanatics got heat for prices at the NFL’s on-site stores that were set and run by an entirely different company (Legends), the Boston Red Sox gave the haters more fodder on Wednesday after fans voiced dissatisfaction over the new home white jerseys.
—A.j. Perez, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
The talk of settling down and staying in the crib feels like moodboard fodder, without any of the scraps of conversation and vivid stories that give a fly-on-the-wall view of actual personal relationships.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
Good fodder for the argument that books can really change your life.
—Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fodder
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The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Weeks after the Super Bowl, during which Fanatics got heat for prices at the NFL’s on-site stores that were set and run by an entirely different company (Legends), the Boston Red Sox gave the haters more fodder on Wednesday after fans voiced dissatisfaction over the new home white jerseys.
—A.j. Perez, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
The talk of settling down and staying in the crib feels like moodboard fodder, without any of the scraps of conversation and vivid stories that give a fly-on-the-wall view of actual personal relationships.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
Good fodder for the argument that books can really change your life.
—Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 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 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fodder
noun
fod·der
ˈfäd-ər 
: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock
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