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 collateral damage is that college sports have become a multibillion-dollar playground pickup game, where loyalty and stability are quaint concepts and the most important race, for many players and coaches, isn’t to win championships but to cash in as fast as possible.
—
Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Along the way, his reputation has also taken a hit as collateral damage.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2026
And then to add insult to that heaping helping of figurative injury, the nachos took some collateral damage and were effectively ruined.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
When considering the use of tear gas or pepper spray in a crowd, for example, at least one officer should be assigned to conduct a collateral damage assessment to determine who may be inadvertently harmed, Maguire said.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Along the way, his reputation has also taken a hit as collateral damage.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2026
And then to add insult to that heaping helping of figurative injury, the nachos took some collateral damage and were effectively ruined.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
When considering the use of tear gas or pepper spray in a crowd, for example, at least one officer should be assigned to conduct a collateral damage assessment to determine who may be inadvertently harmed, Maguire said.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 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 15 May. 2026.
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