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
Cheney's actions became fodder for comedians throughout his political career, with his likeness regularly appearing on Saturday Night Live throughout the 1990s and 2000s, with Phil Hartman and Darrell Hammond portraying him on the sketch comedy series.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
John Updike’s 1984 novel about a trio of witches in contemporary Rhode Island isn’t the most natural fodder for a big-budget special-effects comedy, nor was George Miller the best fit to direct such a thing, however eclectic his filmography.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
It’s been that way since the exploitation of Roxanne Shanté, since the tabloid fodder of Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown, since Megan had to beg to be believed.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2025
The book, probably still my pick as King’s scariest novel if not his best, is overpacked with additional flashbacks and interludes that could have been fodder for multiple seasons of television.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fodder
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
John Updike’s 1984 novel about a trio of witches in contemporary Rhode Island isn’t the most natural fodder for a big-budget special-effects comedy, nor was George Miller the best fit to direct such a thing, however eclectic his filmography.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
It’s been that way since the exploitation of Roxanne Shanté, since the tabloid fodder of Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown, since Megan had to beg to be believed.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2025
The book, probably still my pick as King’s scariest novel if not his best, is overpacked with additional flashbacks and interludes that could have been fodder for multiple seasons of television.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 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 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fodder
noun
fod·der
ˈfäd-ər 
: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share