DAMAGES Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

damages 1 of 2

noun

Definition of damages next

plural of damage

as in penalty

a sum of money to be paid as a punishment ordered by the court to pay $1000 in damages

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Relevance

as in reparation

payment to another for a loss or injury the company was forced to pay millions in damages to the permanently disabled worker

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damages

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of damage

as in injures

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of the explosion in the sewers damaged the entire city's water supply

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wounds

to cause bodily damage to his knee was badly damaged in the accident, and he walked with a limp for months

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of damages

Noun

Mediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points that derailed direct talks last weekend — Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts. —

ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026 The judge in the case will now determine the total damages amount and penalties, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office, which was part of the lawsuit. —

Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026 The ruling today, however, will lead to both significant divestments (if not a separation between Live Nation and Ticketmaster) and some degree of monetary damages due to the 34 states that brought this lawsuit. —

Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026 The company also has a pending motion in regard to a damages testimony related to the jury’s damages award. —

Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026 The Park Service also sought to recover $213,387 in costs and damages stemming from two incidents in which Dateline and its contractors allegedly performed unpermitted roadwork, razing sensitive land and destroying hundreds of plants, according to the correspondence obtained by The Times last year. —

Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026 The woman, Gemmalyn Castillo, is suing for more than $50 million in damages. —

Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026 Musk is seeking more than $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, arguing that OpenAI defrauded him as a donor by restructuring the business away from its nonprofit roots. —

Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026 The couple is seeking at least $8,400 from the owners of the condo, which is equivalent to two times their security deposit, plus damages for emotional distress, according to their attorney Alexander Hess. —

Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026

Verb

For example, an extreme weather event that damages infrastructure could impact a critical supply chain node, which has a derivative impact on economic growth and credit. —

Rob Fauber, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026 New research suggests that skipping the pillow could help prevent the development of glaucoma, an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can cause vision loss or blindness. —

Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026 Diatomaceous earth dehydrates and damages a roach’s exoskeleton. —

Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2026 Israel’s head of state publicly acknowledged the partnership between Israel and Diaspora Jewry, recognized that Jewish-extremist violence damages both Israel and Jews around the world, and thanked Diaspora Jews for engaging. —

Mick Davis, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026 Children are more likely to suffer from HUS, which damages small blood vessels, according to the Mayo Clinic. —

Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 9 Apr. 2026 Over the long run, missing the market's best days damages your returns. —

Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026 Military advocates warn that deporting service members’ spouses damages recruitment and morale, undermining national security interests. —

Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026 In the United States, spiders that are dangerous to people include the brown recluse, which carries a necrotic toxin that destroys tissue, and the black widow, which has a special neurotoxin that damages nerve cells. —

Matthew Cordes, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for damages

Noun

In the second semi-final, which was played in front of a crowd of more than 7,000, Real Madrid scored in the 83rd minute to equalise against PSG before coming from behind in the penalty shootout to advance to Monday night’s final.

— Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Hagel, who has seen more time on the first power-play unit in the left circle, scored from the edge of the crease, slipping past the Canadiens penalty killers and tipping in Jake Guentzel’s pass from the right circle.

— Eduardo Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026