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
Flair and Bliss have been collateral damage and have been forced to make nice with Ripley ahead of their six-woman tag team match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Just as the novel sought to reveal how Britain abandoned veterans, this dreamy and compelling interpretation gestures at the collateral damage of Nigeria’s military.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
That experience is important for a criminal-centric body, one which sees an offender as a victim and the victims of their crimes as collateral damage.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
Hochul knew this deadline was coming and still allowed commuters, small businesses, nurses, teachers, and tourists to become collateral damage.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Just as the novel sought to reveal how Britain abandoned veterans, this dreamy and compelling interpretation gestures at the collateral damage of Nigeria’s military.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
That experience is important for a criminal-centric body, one which sees an offender as a victim and the victims of their crimes as collateral damage.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
Hochul knew this deadline was coming and still allowed commuters, small businesses, nurses, teachers, and tourists to become collateral damage.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 16 May 2026
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 27 May. 2026.
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