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
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
That comment came during after-school fodder just days following the fatal shooting of Renee Good.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Reality Check makes a point to mention ad nauseam that much of the public backlash toward America’s Next Top Model took hold following the pandemic, when a majority of people were blowing through their to-watch queue, desperately seeking fresh viewing fodder.
—Hunter Lacey, Allure, 16 Feb. 2026
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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
That comment came during after-school fodder just days following the fatal shooting of Renee Good.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Reality Check makes a point to mention ad nauseam that much of the public backlash toward America’s Next Top Model took hold following the pandemic, when a majority of people were blowing through their to-watch queue, desperately seeking fresh viewing fodder.
—Hunter Lacey, Allure, 16 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 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fodder
noun
fod·der
ˈfäd-ər 
: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock
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