collateral damage
noun
: injury inflicted on something other than an intended target
specifically
: civilian casualties of a military operation
Examples of collateral damage in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The plot focuses on the collateral damage inflicted by drug cartels by following young Sujo (Kevin Uriel Aguilar Luna, Juan Jesús Varela), who grows up in the wake of their violence.
—
Holly Jones, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Children’s Mercy, even then, was treating ever more kids whose lives were ripped apart by bullets, not just at home, but also as collateral damage from drug wars and drive-by shootings.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2024
Maura Tierney’s Ma Von Erich gives us a prime example of how even a loving maternal figure can become collateral damage in a dysfunctional family dynamic.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2023
The scourge of conflicts around the globe, abhorred for killing and maiming unsuspecting civilians and lingering hidden for decades, mines provide cartels with a tactical edge on the battlefield and widen the potential for collateral damage.
—Keegan Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024
Grassroots innovation may become collateral damage.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Feb. 2024
Girls’ Night Shocker The night began with Katie telling Ariana that Schwartz misses her after their friendship became collateral damage of Sandoval’s affair.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 31 Jan. 2024
His gamble already claimed a prominent victim late last year, when Hertz became collateral damage.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2024
Teams of researchers at the University of North Dakota tested four systems specifically on the potential for collateral damage when a hostile drone falls back to earth, said Mark Askelson, the university’s associate vice president for research in national security.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 14 Jan. 2024
Holly Jones, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Children’s Mercy, even then, was treating ever more kids whose lives were ripped apart by bullets, not just at home, but also as collateral damage from drug wars and drive-by shootings.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2024
Maura Tierney’s Ma Von Erich gives us a prime example of how even a loving maternal figure can become collateral damage in a dysfunctional family dynamic.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2023
The scourge of conflicts around the globe, abhorred for killing and maiming unsuspecting civilians and lingering hidden for decades, mines provide cartels with a tactical edge on the battlefield and widen the potential for collateral damage.
—Keegan Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024
Grassroots innovation may become collateral damage.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Feb. 2024
Girls’ Night Shocker The night began with Katie telling Ariana that Schwartz misses her after their friendship became collateral damage of Sandoval’s affair.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 31 Jan. 2024
His gamble already claimed a prominent victim late last year, when Hertz became collateral damage.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2024
Teams of researchers at the University of North Dakota tested four systems specifically on the potential for collateral damage when a hostile drone falls back to earth, said Mark Askelson, the university’s associate vice president for research in national security.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 14 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'collateral damage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1947, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of collateral damage was
in 1947
Dictionary Entries Near collateral damage
Cite this Entry
“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collateral%20damage. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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