1
as in penalty
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment
ordered by the court to pay $1000 in damages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in injures
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the explosion in the sewers damaged the entire city's water supply
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wounds
to cause bodily damage to
his knee was badly damaged in the accident, and he walked with a limp for months
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of damages
Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 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
Jakhi McCray, 22, admitted to the June 12 arson spree, which New York City police officials said caused $800,000 in damages to department vehicles.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
Cipriani has been seeking $150 million in damages.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 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
Baldoni, 42, last year countersued, bringing claims against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging he’d been defamed and extorted and demanding an enormous $400 million in damages.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
With the latest lawsuit, the YouTubers are seeking statutory damages, injunctive relief, and restitution.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 7 Apr. 2026
Carter also said the inability to measure damages classwide did not mean a class could not be certified.
—Reuters, Oklahoman, 1 Apr. 2026
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
Low level light therapy While research is still mounting, studies suggest that exposing the skin to specific wavelengths of light can extend the growth phase of hair, reduce the inflammation that damages follicles and interferes with the growth cycle, and improve the density and thickness of hair.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
This exposure damages the DNA in skin cells and can trigger changes that cause those cells to grow out of control and turn cancerous.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
Paralytic polio occurs when the virus damages motor neurons that control muscles.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Tornado damages Tulsa homes, school campus The damage from the Friday, March 6, storms extended across wide swaths of eastern Oklahoma, including north Tulsa.
—Richard Mize, Oklahoman, 7 Mar. 2026
Kemerly was diagnosed with a liver disease in 2007 that slowly damages the liver.
—Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
The restaurant groups are now suing for more than $1 million in direct damages, as well as for punitive damages, attorneys' fees, and costs.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 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
Jakhi McCray, 22, admitted to the June 12 arson spree, which New York City police officials said caused $800,000 in damages to department vehicles.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
Cipriani has been seeking $150 million in damages.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 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
Baldoni, 42, last year countersued, bringing claims against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging he’d been defamed and extorted and demanding an enormous $400 million in damages.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
With the latest lawsuit, the YouTubers are seeking statutory damages, injunctive relief, and restitution.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 7 Apr. 2026
Carter also said the inability to measure damages classwide did not mean a class could not be certified.
—Reuters, Oklahoman, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
Low level light therapy While research is still mounting, studies suggest that exposing the skin to specific wavelengths of light can extend the growth phase of hair, reduce the inflammation that damages follicles and interferes with the growth cycle, and improve the density and thickness of hair.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
This exposure damages the DNA in skin cells and can trigger changes that cause those cells to grow out of control and turn cancerous.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
Paralytic polio occurs when the virus damages motor neurons that control muscles.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Tornado damages Tulsa homes, school campus The damage from the Friday, March 6, storms extended across wide swaths of eastern Oklahoma, including north Tulsa.
—Richard Mize, Oklahoman, 7 Mar. 2026
Kemerly was diagnosed with a liver disease in 2007 that slowly damages the liver.
—Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damages
Noun
-
While battery-electric vehicles have already reached large-scale adoption in China, the weight penalty continues to leave room for alternative propulsion pathways to emerge.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Apr. 2026
-
If your return is more than 60 days late, there's also a minimum penalty for late filing.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The fees would act as a kind of war reparations, says Ghiselli, while allowing Iran to institutionalize its management of the shipping route.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The city currently collects a 3% Cannabis Retailers Occupation Tax on recreational cannabis sales to use as revenue for reparations, in addition to funding from Evanston’s real estate transfer tax.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In her desperation to ask Val for a job on the new sitcom, Sharon falls and injures herself.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Pool drain seriously injures girl Paloma Quatrini was just days away from her fourth birthday when the accident happened at an upscale resort in Mexico.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Chops, gouges, wounds it like the shadow grooves on the sidewalks—the sun is setting earlier.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Imperfect fleshly reality occupies the stage, the region where bones crack and wounds suppurate, schlumpy humans fall for each other, and jealousy roams murderously free.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Two decades ago, Supermicro pleaded guilty to illegally exporting computer equipment to Iran, and paid fines to the Department of Justice, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Commerce Department.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In addition to serving prison time, Bannon paid a $6,500 fine.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even if the war is over, the country's already ailing economy now faces dire trouble — though sanctions relief and compensation are also in Iran's 10-point plan.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Jung, a close ally of Lee, said the government is willing to expand legal redress and speed compensation for victims of government abuses whose cases have been verified by the truth commission.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
However, an earnestness mars most of the proceedings.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some hurts Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen never returned because of a lower-body injury after being knocked hard into the boards by Hartman late in the first period.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
While a prolonged closure and extensive damage to oil and natural gas infrastructure in Iran and the Gulf states no doubt hurts China’s energy security and economy, these were risks Xi appears willing to accept, at least for a time.—
Jeffrey Taliaferro,
The Conversation,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damages. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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