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
Any strike near such locations could impact large numbers of civilians, raising concerns about collateral damage in already tense urban environments.
—
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Apr. 2026
The opening salvo of strikes targeted Iranian government and military sites across the country, but there were allegations of collateral damage.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Afterward, a student in the audience complained to his parents that, at the event, the deaths of Palestinian civilians had been characterized as collateral damage—a regrettable but unavoidable consequence of the battle against Hamas.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
And then there’s the idea that, while war is always a messy business, collateral damage like this is a risk that is necessary to face in order to liberate the region, and really all future generations from the unique threat posed by the Iranian regime.
—Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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.
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Apr. 2026
The opening salvo of strikes targeted Iranian government and military sites across the country, but there were allegations of collateral damage.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Afterward, a student in the audience complained to his parents that, at the event, the deaths of Palestinian civilians had been characterized as collateral damage—a regrettable but unavoidable consequence of the battle against Hamas.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
And then there’s the idea that, while war is always a messy business, collateral damage like this is a risk that is necessary to face in order to liberate the region, and really all future generations from the unique threat posed by the Iranian regime.
—Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 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 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
