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 this hardly stopped Combs’s momentum, this event can be viewed as a part of a pattern of collateral damage that Diddy was willing to leave behind on his path to industry dominance.
—
Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025
This sets Ellie on a revenge quest against Abby, one where the rest of her crew are collateral damage that Ellie has no problem eliminating.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 12 May 2025
In television drama, men can kill lots of people, including those considered collateral damage, and still be considered acceptable enough to remain a main character.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
In the rush to penalize China, Washington has overlooked that American small businesses, like Shen’s, may become collateral damage.
—Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025
This sets Ellie on a revenge quest against Abby, one where the rest of her crew are collateral damage that Ellie has no problem eliminating.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 12 May 2025
In television drama, men can kill lots of people, including those considered collateral damage, and still be considered acceptable enough to remain a main character.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
In the rush to penalize China, Washington has overlooked that American small businesses, like Shen’s, may become collateral damage.
—Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 5 May 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 20 May. 2025.
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