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
Michelle Williams, as Ennis’ wife, Alma, gives us the other heartbreak — the innocent collateral damage.
—
Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 June 2025
The younger Third World alien was collateral damage.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 June 2025
Intertwined with vivid descriptions of the horrific collateral damage in the city itself are intersecting narratives that remind us how persistently the dramas of daily life can exist even when the world is in flames.
—Alida Becker, New York Times, 30 May 2025
But recent operations targeting high-profile gang leaders have not led to any breakthroughs and instead raised concerns at the U.N., the Caribbean Community and elsewhere about collateral damage and human-rights abuses.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 June 2025
The younger Third World alien was collateral damage.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 June 2025
Intertwined with vivid descriptions of the horrific collateral damage in the city itself are intersecting narratives that remind us how persistently the dramas of daily life can exist even when the world is in flames.
—Alida Becker, New York Times, 30 May 2025
But recent operations targeting high-profile gang leaders have not led to any breakthroughs and instead raised concerns at the U.N., the Caribbean Community and elsewhere about collateral damage and human-rights abuses.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 June 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 Aug. 2025.
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