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
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
On the one hand, Elsa could also be seen as collateral damage — as another casualty of a man whose inner life has betrayed the role he was meant to play in his family.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
As the adrenaline levels rose on Monday and Tuesday, and the familiar choreography of another British political crisis began to play out—ministerial resignations, spiky statements on X—the collateral damage that Starmer had warned against started to encroach, once again, upon the scene.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Or just the collateral damage of a post-pandemic economy that put another company out of business?
—Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 16 May 2026
On the one hand, Elsa could also be seen as collateral damage — as another casualty of a man whose inner life has betrayed the role he was meant to play in his family.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
As the adrenaline levels rose on Monday and Tuesday, and the familiar choreography of another British political crisis began to play out—ministerial resignations, spiky statements on X—the collateral damage that Starmer had warned against started to encroach, once again, upon the scene.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Or just the collateral damage of a post-pandemic economy that put another company out of business?
—Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 14 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 21 May. 2026.
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