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
While Trump and supporters of tariffs might be able to point to some jobs created or saved thanks to the tariffs, many more will be lost as collateral damage.
—
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2025
Details of the grisly killing come as law enforcement sources said the victim, Angel Mendoza, was collateral damage in the playground clash and not part of the original fight that sparked the bloodshed.
—Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Of course, Hamas is wrong to dehumanize Palestinians by turning them into human shields, but this is no excuse for Israel to dehumanize Gazans, treating their plight merely as collateral damage.
—Michael S. Roth, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Yet, for these two men who are well-versed in all of these things, the return to the base impulse of competition, insults and secret-shaming creates collateral damage and chaos.
—Chris Westfall, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2025
Details of the grisly killing come as law enforcement sources said the victim, Angel Mendoza, was collateral damage in the playground clash and not part of the original fight that sparked the bloodshed.
—Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Of course, Hamas is wrong to dehumanize Palestinians by turning them into human shields, but this is no excuse for Israel to dehumanize Gazans, treating their plight merely as collateral damage.
—Michael S. Roth, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Yet, for these two men who are well-versed in all of these things, the return to the base impulse of competition, insults and secret-shaming creates collateral damage and chaos.
—Chris Westfall, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
Cite this Entry
“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collateral%20damage. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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