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
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
The verdict, which multiple outlets reported took roughly one hour, carried financial implications—the jury decided whether the rapper would owe damages claimed by Ellis—and legal implications.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
The lesser charges of property and historical heritage damages carry as little as 6 months to 3 years in prison.
—Carrie Kahn, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
No one was seriously injured, and both homes are being assessed for damages, police said.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Playground operators can be held responsible for unsafe, unmaintained equipment—although damages tend to be much smaller than the United States—but courts reject culpability for injuries that happen as a part of normal playground use.
—Carrie Lukas, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Ellis was seeking punitive and other damages that included medical expenses for a scratch on her face.
—Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
The car company run by Elon Musk asked a federal court Friday to dismiss massive damages awarded to victims of a deadly crash, arguing that their lawyers had misled the jury by improperly bringing up the billionaire during the trial.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
Substantially damaging or injuring a neighbor's tree could leave you liable to fees or fines for damages, something that can quickly get expensive, according to state law.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Aug. 2025
Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
If the power outage is specific to your home, say a lightning strike damages your electrical system, things change.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2025
The substance also damages airways and predisposes individuals to develop many chronic lung diseases including asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease.
—Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The pesky weed damages native biodiversity, threatens forest health and turns natural areas into monocultures.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 28 Aug. 2025
Although rare, there is a risk of scarring with laser therapy, especially if the laser is not used properly and damages the deeper layers of your skin.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 27 Aug. 2025
The condition damages the kidney's glomeruli, which can lead to end-stage renal failure if untreated.
—David Hampton, Verywell Health, 27 Aug. 2025
Stringer/Sputnik via AP What To Know Broadly desecration of a flag refers to any action that damages or disrespects it—such as burning it, urinating or defecating on it, defacing it, stepping on it, damaging it with stones or bullets, cutting or ripping it and many others.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
While these messenger molecules are important for fighting infections, too much activity means the immune system is in chronic attack mode, which damages surrounding tissue over time.
—New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
Clemishire and her father are seeking civil damages in excess of $1 million.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
The verdict, which multiple outlets reported took roughly one hour, carried financial implications—the jury decided whether the rapper would owe damages claimed by Ellis—and legal implications.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
The lesser charges of property and historical heritage damages carry as little as 6 months to 3 years in prison.
—Carrie Kahn, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
No one was seriously injured, and both homes are being assessed for damages, police said.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Playground operators can be held responsible for unsafe, unmaintained equipment—although damages tend to be much smaller than the United States—but courts reject culpability for injuries that happen as a part of normal playground use.
—Carrie Lukas, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Ellis was seeking punitive and other damages that included medical expenses for a scratch on her face.
—Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
The car company run by Elon Musk asked a federal court Friday to dismiss massive damages awarded to victims of a deadly crash, arguing that their lawyers had misled the jury by improperly bringing up the billionaire during the trial.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
Substantially damaging or injuring a neighbor's tree could leave you liable to fees or fines for damages, something that can quickly get expensive, according to state law.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
This interaction damages skin cells and can trigger irritation, redness, stinging or burning.
—Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
If the power outage is specific to your home, say a lightning strike damages your electrical system, things change.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2025
The substance also damages airways and predisposes individuals to develop many chronic lung diseases including asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease.
—Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The pesky weed damages native biodiversity, threatens forest health and turns natural areas into monocultures.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 28 Aug. 2025
Although rare, there is a risk of scarring with laser therapy, especially if the laser is not used properly and damages the deeper layers of your skin.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 27 Aug. 2025
The condition damages the kidney's glomeruli, which can lead to end-stage renal failure if untreated.
—David Hampton, Verywell Health, 27 Aug. 2025
Stringer/Sputnik via AP What To Know Broadly desecration of a flag refers to any action that damages or disrespects it—such as burning it, urinating or defecating on it, defacing it, stepping on it, damaging it with stones or bullets, cutting or ripping it and many others.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
While these messenger molecules are important for fighting infections, too much activity means the immune system is in chronic attack mode, which damages surrounding tissue over time.
—New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damages
Noun
-
Trump is trying to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law historically used for imposing economic sanctions and other penalties on foreign enemies.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Courtney Crown, senior media specialist at the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), explained there are no penalties in place for school districts that fail to report employee injury data.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
People looking to support Avenue Grill as the restaurant undergoes reparations can keep the business in their prayers and stay connected via social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, for updates on reopening, according to a statement by Avenue Grill sent to the Free Press.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The couple aims to build equity and give cultural reparations to Black artists while building the city's creative economy.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This is an inflammatory condition in which swelling injures the optic nerve, disrupting the transmission of visual information from the eye to the brain.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
-
One speaker there who expressed support for trans athletes in girls' sports suggested that McNabb's injury shouldn't be used to justify banning males from girls' volleyball, and that any female athlete who injures an opponent should also be banned in that case.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Set against Mumbai’s relentless pulse, their delicate connection faces tests as personal histories, desires, and wounds resurface.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
-
No policy wounds Tibetan dignity more profoundly than attempts to co-opt its spiritual and institutional heart.—
Tenzin Dorjee,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
All told, Norfolk Southern shelled out well north of $1 billion in settlements, fines, and other fees to clean up in and around East Palestine.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The fine is certainly a drop in the bucket for the entertainment giant, but the corrective measure is certainly a win for data privacy.—
Alan Henry,
PC Magazine,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For four years after that policy was crafted, NIL was the only avenue for above-board compensation for college athletes.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Fifteen years ago, Mexican attorney Alma Barraza immersed herself in a legal fight to win fair compensation for indigent villagers who lost their property when the government seized land to build a dam.—
Ray Long,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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
-
The danger for Streeting, who is widely seen as a possible successor to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is that the row hurts the wider economy.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Mamdani is just a much better politician than Bush, as his entire agenda speaks to the affordability crisis that disproportionately hurts Black voters.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damages. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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