COLLATERAL DAMAGE Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

collateral damage

noun

Definition of collateral damage

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

Noun

Police in Idaho confirmed there are fatalities and injuries after the report of an active shooter near an In-N-Out Burger location in Twin Falls on Saturday.

— Vanessa Navarrete, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
Twin Falls authorities have not provided the exact number of fatalities but earlier told CNN at least three people had been killed.

— Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of fatality

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

More than 2 million acres had burned, the center said – that’s twice the previous 10-year average for the period, and the highest loss in 14 years.

— Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Skubal took the loss in the decisive Game 5 of the division series against Cleveland in 2024 and then got a no-decision in a 15-inning loss to Seattle in Game 5 of the division series last year.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 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

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Style

“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collateral%20damage. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of collateral damage

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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