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

Still, the agreement had left the door open for the Gossip Girl alum to seek damages and legal fees—though that option appears to be unavailable for the time being. —

Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 13 May 2026 While Capital One's lawsuit seeks damages, the bank said its primary goal of the litigation is to expose and deter bad actors and the firms that enable them. —

Stephanie Dhue, CNBC, 13 May 2026 The complaint doesn’t assert a specific damages amount but does say damages would exceed $5 million, an amount required for pleading purposes under the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. —

Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 May 2026 Messages where Altman appears ingratiated to Musk seem to show that Musk did most of the heavy lifting when OpenAI was founded and therefore should be awarded damages up to $150 billion, which Musk intends to donate to OpenAI’s nonprofit. —

Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026 In late 2024, Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine settled a more than $100 million lawsuit the Justice Department levied against them for damages related to the crash. —

Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 13 May 2026 Morejon was seeking at least $75,000 in damages, plus loss of earnings and medical bills. —

Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026 Musk, an OpenAI cofounder and once its largest financial backer, is seeking tens of billions of dollars in damages, an unwinding of the restructuring that was completed in October, and the removal of Altman and president Greg Brockman from their posts. —

Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 13 May 2026 Shortly before the trial began, Musk abandoned a bid for damages for himself and instead is seeking an unspecified amount of money to be paid to fund the altruistic efforts of OpenAI’s charitable arm. —

ABC News, 12 May 2026

Verb

Even one drink of alcohol damages the immune system, lowering its ability to battle invaders within 20 minutes of consumption. —

Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 14 May 2026 Nebraska 2nd District The leading Democratic hopefuls in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District have been battling over whether one candidate's campaign damages the party's competitiveness in the area. —

Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 12 May 2026 Catching the signs of mold in your house early is the difference between a minor cleanup and a problem that damages your walls, your belongings and your family’s health. —

Ryan Brennan may 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026 The same is true of excess water, which damages roots and causes plant stress. —

Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 May 2026 Mercury damages the nervous system. —

Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026 Antisemitism weakens trust, corrodes pluralism and damages the social fabric on which diverse communities depend. —

Laurence Milstein, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026 The 28-year-old’s latest setback is a blow for Spurs and damages his chances of featuring at this summer’s World Cup. —

Jay Harris, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026 Knowing what to do if a power surge damages your appliances and electronics is essential for protecting your home, preventing future issues, and reporting damages clearly and concisely to your insurance company and the local electric company. —

Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for damages

Noun

After Minnesota killed the first penalty of the game — an accomplishment of note with the way the Wild penalty kill was torched in the first two games — Kaprizov opened the scoring with the teams skating 4-on-4, completing a speedy rush to the net after a set-up pass from Faber.

— Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 10 May 2026
Devon Toews was called for a hooking penalty, giving Minnesota 63 seconds of 4-on-3 power-play time.

— Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 10 May 2026