collateral damage

noun

Definition of collateral damagenext
as in fatality

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of collateral damage The collateral damage of Catherine’s quest can be devastating. — Judy Berman, Time, 27 July 2026 Contemporary efforts at pest control have also caused unanticipated collateral damage. — Elan Abrell, The Conversation, 22 July 2026 The city's population has grown, meaning there are more people at risk from collateral damage. — Andrei Popoviciu, The Dial, 21 July 2026 Lockheed Martin revealed that the new X-rotor also benefits from the same family of high-power microwave effectors that have already proved the ability to defeat difficult targets while minimizing collateral damage. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collateral damage
  1. fatality
  2. sacrifice
  3. victim
  4. casualty
  5. prey
  6. loss
  7. martyr
Noun
  • Ukraine has seen over 525,000 casualties and 125,000 fatalities.
    — Lidia Pilecky, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The nine fatalities included three guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides and six clients, the Chronicle added.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of fatality
Noun
  • Fraser’s sculptures at the Whitney realize, in three dimensions, the sacrifice that de Monteflores’s paintings had visualized decades earlier.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The governor's executive order also states Feehan was posthumously promoted to captain and will receive the Bronze Star and Purple Heart in recognition of his sacrifice.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of sacrifice
Noun
  • And the Santa Ana winds are blowing in September 1981, mentioned in a news report before an announcement of the latest Trawler victim in the season premiere.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The police investigation was launched following complaints from relatives of the victims of the Gwangju crackdown, which official records say left about 200 people dead.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • Havoc's innovation was spurred on by success overseas, where Ukraine pioneered drone warfare saving in cost and in human casualties.
    — Louisa Moller, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Yet civilian casualties in Gaza and Israel’s destruction of infrastructure and restriction of humanitarian aid quickly raised concerns.
    — Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of casualty
Noun
  • New large-scale research shows that the presence of mountain lions, also known as pumas or cougars, can drastically decrease the number of potentially deadly collisions between deer and vehicles by changing the behavior of their prey.
    — Gennaro Tomma, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026
  • When an insect hits the web, vibrations from the force travel along the threads and help the spider locate the prey.
    — Aliasger K. Salem, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of prey
Noun
  • Even with Saturday’s loss, the Red Sox (64-52) have won 11 of their past 13.
    — Curt Anderson, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The loss dropped Orlando to 2-5 since returning to action from the league’s summer break.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of loss
Noun
  • The story contrasts past, more restrained immigration enforcement with today’s shootings, urging that Salgado Araujo be remembered as a modern-day martyr of the American dream and immigrants’ increasingly precarious lives.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
  • In between Amos’s lines, In Times of Dragons is a saga of survival introducing different muses along the way, from a real-life ancestor, a martyr who fell in love with Jesus, and a group of rugged women.
    — Tina Eves, SPIN, 13 July 2026
Definition of martyr

Browse Nearby Words

collateral
collateral damage
collateral damages
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Cite this Entry

“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collateral%20damage. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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