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
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
Denise Chow, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026
The United States experienced nearly two dozen billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2025, causing at least 276 fatalities and costing a total of $115 billion in damages.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
There were 23 such events in 2025, causing 276 fatalities and a total of $115 billion in damages.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
The second-most costly event of 2025 was a March tornado outbreak in the Central states that killed 43 people and caused $11 billion in damages.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
These measures will now allow the crews to begin repairing the wastewater line, start their investigation into the root cause, and assess the resulting damages.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
His indictment includes felony and misdemeanor charges, including entering an automobile and criminal trespass for damages totaling less than $500.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
While Bed Bath & Beyond charts a comeback under new leadership, its former corporate shell lobbed yet another damages claim against an ocean carrier for allegedly failing to meet service commitments during the Covid-19 pandemic.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Scientists think that chronic inflammation damages the brain and increases the risk of dementia.
—Dana G. Smith, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Doing so severely damages the roots, and the plants are unlikely to survive.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Dec. 2025
This damages the health and survival of other aquatic species, though legislation has been put in place to reduce this number.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025
Hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets is a rare genetic condition that damages the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 4 Dec. 2025
That slows flow, and slowly damages the equipment, leading to the need for periodic maintenance and higher operational costs.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 27 Nov. 2025
The federal tort law allows a private individual to sue the federal government for monetary damages if a federal employee hurts them or damages their property by acting negligently.
—Susan Haigh, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025
Brain scans revealed the severity of the bleeds and whether patients showed signs of cerebral small vessel disease, a condition that damages tiny blood vessels in the brain and is linked to aging, high blood pressure and dementia.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
In 2025, 23 weather and climate events exceeded $1 billion in damages, costing a total of around $115 billion, according to an analysis released Thursday by the nonprofit organization Climate Central.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026
The United States experienced nearly two dozen billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2025, causing at least 276 fatalities and costing a total of $115 billion in damages.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
There were 23 such events in 2025, causing 276 fatalities and a total of $115 billion in damages.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
The second-most costly event of 2025 was a March tornado outbreak in the Central states that killed 43 people and caused $11 billion in damages.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
These measures will now allow the crews to begin repairing the wastewater line, start their investigation into the root cause, and assess the resulting damages.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
His indictment includes felony and misdemeanor charges, including entering an automobile and criminal trespass for damages totaling less than $500.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
While Bed Bath & Beyond charts a comeback under new leadership, its former corporate shell lobbed yet another damages claim against an ocean carrier for allegedly failing to meet service commitments during the Covid-19 pandemic.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
For people with celiac disease, gluten triggers an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Scientists think that chronic inflammation damages the brain and increases the risk of dementia.
—Dana G. Smith, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Doing so severely damages the roots, and the plants are unlikely to survive.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Dec. 2025
This damages the health and survival of other aquatic species, though legislation has been put in place to reduce this number.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025
Hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets is a rare genetic condition that damages the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 4 Dec. 2025
That slows flow, and slowly damages the equipment, leading to the need for periodic maintenance and higher operational costs.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 27 Nov. 2025
The federal tort law allows a private individual to sue the federal government for monetary damages if a federal employee hurts them or damages their property by acting negligently.
—Susan Haigh, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025
Brain scans revealed the severity of the bleeds and whether patients showed signs of cerebral small vessel disease, a condition that damages tiny blood vessels in the brain and is linked to aging, high blood pressure and dementia.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damages
Noun
-
Hendrickson proved to be too much, and Suamataia was benched for Morris after allowing two sacks and taking two holding penalties in the second half.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Jimenez’s movement drags Forest centre-back Nikola Milenkovic up the pitch, allowing Smith Rowe to carry the ball forward and progress the attack, which leads to the award of the penalty that proves to be the game’s only goal.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Scaffolding, ultimately, is less like reparations and more like universal basic income.—
S. C. Cornell,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The survey focuses on whether educators are properly teaching students about reparations precedents.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
California law already criminalizes unsafe gun storage in certain situations, including when a child accesses a firearm and injures or kills someone.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
29 Dec. 2025
-
In self-defense, Franck's group injures one of the attackers.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
What once killed campaigns now barely wounds them.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Even with all of them in place, Shirley misses the masked attacker sneaking his way up to the apartment door, and Lamb’s attempt to blind him with bleach creates a chaotic struggle that wounds the assailant without containing him.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Those who break the rules are hit with fines depending on the severity of the infraction.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Judge Steven Hippler sentenced Kohberger, 30, to four lifetimes in prison without parole for the murders of four University of Idaho students, plus 10 years for a burglary charge and $270,000 in fines and civil penalties.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Court rulings have favored athletes of late, winning them not just millions in compensation but the ability to play immediately after transferring rather than have to sit out a year as once was the case.—
ANDREW DESTIN,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Reyes defended the compensation, saying it was negotiated in good faith.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Valuing a project at cost of production rather than value in an arm’s length sale—common in all economic statistics—especially mars Chinese data.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In seismic papers, Borjas’s research described the drawbacks of immigration, including his oft-cited, though much-disputed, findings that the arrival of lower-skilled immigrants hurts American workers who compete for jobs, especially poor people and African Americans.—
Lauren Kaori Gurley,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
That one still hurts a little bit.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damages. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share