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
Of course, the pair’s attempts to bury the past only cascade into further collateral damage and ethical compromise.
—
Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Rafael says the Iron Beam 450 operates at near-zero cost per interception and reduces the risk of collateral damage.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
The collateral damage caused by that saga has affected Newcastle’s early-season performances, depriving them of a senior centre-forward for the opening three games and generally generating toxicity.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
That the lives of children are not acceptable collateral damage in an ideological campaign.
—CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Rafael says the Iron Beam 450 operates at near-zero cost per interception and reduces the risk of collateral damage.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
The collateral damage caused by that saga has affected Newcastle’s early-season performances, depriving them of a senior centre-forward for the opening three games and generally generating toxicity.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
That the lives of children are not acceptable collateral damage in an ideological campaign.
—CNN Money, 4 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2025.
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