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
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
She's also lost her faith in England, believing that her husband and son weren't part of an honorable war, but were instead used as cannon fodder.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Brake’s part is brief, while other cast members provide no more than cannon fodder.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
These children are cannon fodder, dispensable pawns in someone else’s war.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannon fodder
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Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
She's also lost her faith in England, believing that her husband and son weren't part of an honorable war, but were instead used as cannon fodder.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Brake’s part is brief, while other cast members provide no more than cannon fodder.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
These children are cannon fodder, dispensable pawns in someone else’s war.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannon fodder
Cite this Entry
“Cannon fodder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cannon%20fodder. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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