damage control

noun

: measures taken to offset or minimize damage to reputation, credibility, or public image caused by a controversial act, remark, or revelation

Examples of damage control in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verizon, which has styled itself as America's best and most reliable network, has been in damage control mode. John Ruwitch, NPR, 15 Jan. 2026 When sovereignty is confiscated and freedom administered from the outside, when the terms of liberation are dictated, the result is not a democratic transition but a protectorate dressed up in the language of damage control. Boris Muñoz, Time, 12 Jan. 2026 But so much for damage control. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026 That's why understanding exactly what unfolds after a payment bounces, and knowing your options for damage control, is critical. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for damage control

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of damage control was in 1933

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Cite this Entry

“Damage control.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damage%20control. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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