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

Afterward, the surgeons had assured both mother and daughter that medication would regulate the damage that had already rippled through Miranda’s endocrine system.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

That tends to occur after most of the damage has been done.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Many of the hundreds of missing trees probably would have recovered from the damage they suffered in the fires, experts say.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Some doctors failed to recognize the role of vitamin K when a baby came into their emergency rooms, let alone knew how to reverse the damage from the declined shots.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

Despite the damage to his legs from MDR, Christian could actually run!

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French