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
Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
This marks Harry’s third time suing a major newspaper group, having previously taken legal action against The Sun owner News Group Newspapers, which settled before trial, as well as The Mirror Group, a case in which he was awareded £140,600 in damages.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Seymour seeks actual damages in excess of $25,000 for each of the two counts.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 21 Jan. 2026
If shifts are made to clean energy close to $430 billion would be saved in climate damages over the next 25 years, the report said.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Duke says Mensah transferring would cause irreparable harm, meaning a kind of harm that monetary damages can’t fix.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The defendant’s attorney asks that Mitchell’s claim for back overtime wages and damages be dismissed.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
The changes then alter the distribution of species and damages ecosystems such as reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and kelp forests.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2026
Zappala also said Moonbeam still owes the borough approximately $500,000 in damages, subject to restitution.
—Lauren Linder, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
This damages the trunk and leaves an ugly, elongated canker that invites insects and stresses the tree, leading to stunted growth, sparse foliage, and stem dieback.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Jan. 2026
Stone said IgG4-RD moves slowly and often damages organs before a patient even knows something is wrong.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Bacterial plant diseases include speck (a winter-surviving infection that attacks tomatoes), canker (which damages fruit trees including those producing apples and peaches), and blight (which rots melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, and more).
—New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2026
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
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
Noun
That had followed a a long-running case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), in which he was awarded damages.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
This marks Harry’s third time suing a major newspaper group, having previously taken legal action against The Sun owner News Group Newspapers, which settled before trial, as well as The Mirror Group, a case in which he was awareded £140,600 in damages.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Seymour seeks actual damages in excess of $25,000 for each of the two counts.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 21 Jan. 2026
If shifts are made to clean energy close to $430 billion would be saved in climate damages over the next 25 years, the report said.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Duke says Mensah transferring would cause irreparable harm, meaning a kind of harm that monetary damages can’t fix.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The defendant’s attorney asks that Mitchell’s claim for back overtime wages and damages be dismissed.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
The changes then alter the distribution of species and damages ecosystems such as reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and kelp forests.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2026
Zappala also said Moonbeam still owes the borough approximately $500,000 in damages, subject to restitution.
—Lauren Linder, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
Political interference in mergers and acquisitions approvals and daily operations repels foreign investment and damages confidence in market operations.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
This damages the trunk and leaves an ugly, elongated canker that invites insects and stresses the tree, leading to stunted growth, sparse foliage, and stem dieback.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Jan. 2026
Stone said IgG4-RD moves slowly and often damages organs before a patient even knows something is wrong.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Bacterial plant diseases include speck (a winter-surviving infection that attacks tomatoes), canker (which damages fruit trees including those producing apples and peaches), and blight (which rots melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, and more).
—New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2026
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
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
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
-
The picture exudes both grace and vulnerability, and hints at imperfection by way of a disconcerting, coral-like wrinkle that mars the foot’s heel.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
20 Dec. 2025
-
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
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 22 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
