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
There’s Grier and the collateral damage of coaches and front-office people in the change.
—
Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
The small businesses that signed up for the program, meanwhile, have become collateral damage in the ongoing probe.
—Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
Morris, 16-18 in two seasons, might have been collateral damage for an organization looking to start fresh with both roles in sync.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, those efforts result in major collateral damage.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
The small businesses that signed up for the program, meanwhile, have become collateral damage in the ongoing probe.
—Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
Morris, 16-18 in two seasons, might have been collateral damage for an organization looking to start fresh with both roles in sync.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, those efforts result in major collateral damage.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Jan. 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 11 Jan. 2026.
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