collateral damage

Definition of collateral damagenext

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 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 What’s at issue is collateral damage, a term that came into use during the Vietnam War to obscure, through abstraction, that masses of civilians were being systematically blown to pieces. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collateral damage
Noun
  • The death toll related to Isaias has risen to four, with fatalities reported in Florida and Alabama.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The youth does not appear to be facing charges directly related to the two fatalities.
    — Asia Simone Burns, AJC.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • On the one hand, there are the flow-state breakthroughs, the gratification of acclaim, the rush of connecting with an audience; on the other, the brutal sacrifices of time, money, and stability.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • For Kotzmacher, the recognition acknowledges sacrifices that extend beyond the softball field.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In delivering her victim impact statement, Collins’ mother said their family can’t look at a bathtub without thinking of what happened.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The entry is paired with a suite of portraits of a number of Black men and women wearing MooreWraps, versatile multi-wear garments created by Moore’s sister with proceeds donated to victims of domestic violence and incarceration.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • There were no casualties in the attack, which the officials said damaged the building’s top three floors.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • An investigation is underway, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said, without specifying whether the attacks caused any damage or casualties.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The story follows a celebrated pediatric heart surgeon whose daughter falls prey to a vengeful ghost.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Calvin’s eager-to-please son, Wade (Charlie Heaton), watches his captain fall prey to unnaturally turning tides.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Sports professionals expect some losses, and expect to learn from them.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • More than one in 10 Americans are taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, according to a recent Gallup analysis, and one in seven has taken them at some point.
    — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But in this shift from the corporate martyr to corporate menace, Garfield has come upon a full circle narrative that could finally earn him an Academy Award nearly two decades later.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The 100th annual festival celebrates the life of San Gennaro, who was the Bishop of Benevento, Italy, and a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collateral%20damage. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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