cannon fodder
noun
1
: soldiers regarded or treated as expendable in battle
2
: an expendable or exploitable person, group, or thing
celebrities who have become cannon fodder for the tabloids
Examples of cannon fodder in a Sentence
The poorly trained forces are little more than cannon fodder.
Recent Examples on the Web
It’s filled with horrific images of life in the tunnels, where just waiting to die in awful conditions became its own kind of torture; the film emphasizes the experiences of soldiers who were treated as cannon fodder by those in command.
—
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
When wading into a sea of enemies, players must constantly swing their chainsaw sword to stay alive because eliminating the cannon fodder recovers health.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2024
Several returned Nepali fighters who spoke with CNN earlier this year blamed Russia for using them as cannon fodder in the war.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 10 July 2024
Thousands of kids without your resources were sent to Vietnam in your stead to die as cannon fodder or return to America, disillusioned and beaten down by combat, only to be scorned by the nice, safe college kids.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cannon fodder 
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.
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
When wading into a sea of enemies, players must constantly swing their chainsaw sword to stay alive because eliminating the cannon fodder recovers health.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2024
Several returned Nepali fighters who spoke with CNN earlier this year blamed Russia for using them as cannon fodder in the war.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 10 July 2024
Thousands of kids without your resources were sent to Vietnam in your stead to die as cannon fodder or return to America, disillusioned and beaten down by combat, only to be scorned by the nice, safe college kids.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cannon fodder
Dictionary Entries Near cannon fodder
Cite this Entry
“Cannon fodder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cannon%20fodder. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share