the damage

Idioms  

1. The cost or price of something, as in So what's the damage for this outfit? This seemingly modern slangy phrase, with damage alluding to the harm done to one's pocketbook, was first recorded in 1755.

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Example Sentences

Paulson said a crisis in the Treasury market would differ in a crucial way from the 2008 financial meltdown, when the U.S. government still had enough fiscal capacity to step in and contain the damage.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

The inflow of money to the U.S. oil industry could partly offset some of the damage to the economy from higher gas prices.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Fossil fuels are cheap in part because their price does not reflect the damage they cause - from rising temperatures to impacts on health, property and the natural world.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The global economy still has important supports that could mitigate the damage from the war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

According to the doctors, this was because the damage was very serious: a lack of external injuries meant the damage was all internal.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover