Synonyms

cannon fodder

American

noun

soldiers, especially infantrymen, who run the greatest risk of being wounded or killed in warfare.

cannon fodder British

noun

men regarded as expendable because they are part of a huge army

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cannon fodder

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The team that was set to be Eastern Conference cannon fodder is now in second place, putting the Celtics right where they’re used to being: the thick of a championship race.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Brenda Doherty: 'My mummy was not cannon fodder'

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2023

“If they need more cannon fodder, that is what they’ll be doing,” he said.

From Washington Times • Nov. 13, 2022

The “partial mobilization” of reservists turns out to be a desperate grab for cannon fodder.

From Washington Post • Sep. 26, 2022

When misfortune and lack of cannon fodder oppressed him, Napoleon became again the practical man not blinded by his supremacy.

From Battle Studies by Ardant du Picq, Charles Jean Jacques Joseph

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023