fodder

fod·der | \ ˈfä-dər

How to pronounce fodder (audio)

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Definition of fodder

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

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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 clip, which has been viewed more than 47 million times on Twitter, became fodder for memes, with users parodying the cadence with which Harris delivered the remark and announcing the completion of often mundane tasks. — NBC News, "Dancing pallbearers, the Mike Pence fly and pretty best friends: Here are the top memes of 2020," 27 Dec. 2020 That could provide fodder for legislative reforms once state lawmakers reconvene in 2021. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Georgia’s Audit of Ballot Signatures," 16 Dec. 2020 The idea of the new service became fodder for late-night comedians and a Netflix sitcom. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, "What happens to the Space Force after the Trump administration?," 15 Dec. 2020 This situation quickly became fodder for viral misinformation from challengers who were suspicious about why they were no longer being permitted inside the counting location in such large numbers. — Ashley Nerbovig, USA TODAY, "Fact check: Videos showing crowd locked out of Detroit TCF Center with windows obstructed are missing context," 10 Nov. 2020 But sometime in the ’70s, with Broadway a beat behind popular music and culture, the flow reversed, as movies became fodder for plays and musicals. — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, "‘Hamilton’ Was Just the Beginning. Hollywood Loves Broadway, Again.," 4 Nov. 2020 Details of Biden's decade-earlier personal interactions became fodder for debate during the heat of the Democratic primary season this year. — Joseph Simonson, Washington Examiner, "South Africa 'arrest' wasn't the only thing Biden got wrong about 1976 trip," 15 Oct. 2020 Naturally, the moment instantly went viral and became fodder for the meme mill. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Kylie Jenner’s “Wasted” Song Is Now Getting Covered by Other Celebs," 10 Oct. 2020 News on the medical front continues to provide fodder both for those who defended the preemptive fall shutdowns and those who continue to criticize them. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, "Ohio State football parents pressure Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren as leagues confront pandemic practices," 27 Aug. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fodder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

20 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Fodder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fodder. Accessed 26 Jan. 2021.

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