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
All are fodder for her intricate textile works, a parallel practice to her floral-design studio.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 6 June 2025
There also exist aspects of their past which would become political fodder in the hands of any opponent’s negative campaign.
—Judith Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
Throughout the book Smith mourns the sudden death of his roommate Elle, the effervescent daughter of a famous soul singer whose death has become media fodder, her story flattened by tragedy on the night of her birthday.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 25 May 2025
Seeing these styles juxtaposed during my visit was fun, each of us learning something from the other—and these differences made for good fodder at the après bar.
—Will McGough, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fodder
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Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 6 June 2025
There also exist aspects of their past which would become political fodder in the hands of any opponent’s negative campaign.
—Judith Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
Throughout the book Smith mourns the sudden death of his roommate Elle, the effervescent daughter of a famous soul singer whose death has become media fodder, her story flattened by tragedy on the night of her birthday.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 25 May 2025
Seeing these styles juxtaposed during my visit was fun, each of us learning something from the other—and these differences made for good fodder at the après bar.
—Will McGough, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fodder
Cite this Entry
“Fodder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fodder. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fodder
noun
fod·der
ˈfäd-ər 
: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock
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