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

Alleged Hamas operatives are assigned a NAZA number, representing how many civilian deaths are acceptable as collateral damage. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2026

But that may not be enough to overcome the collateral damage of the president’s sagging approval rating and soaring fuel prices because of the war. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

The campaign also places particular emphasis on technologies capable of defeating drones while minimizing collateral damage. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026

The report said the school was the intended point of impact, and the resulting damage wasn't the result of an errant strike or collateral damage from an attack on a compound of Iran's Revolutionary Guard next to the school. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for collateral damage

• ramage
• samaj