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 Too often a car crash involves collateral damage to other vehicles or bystanders. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for collateral damage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for collateral damage

Noun

John’s hacking skills prove useful, as does the T-800’s extensive firepower—although per John’s instructions, there are zero human fatalities.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Days after Pennsylvania health officials reported two measles deaths, a public dispute has emerged about whether other factors played a role in the fatalities.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of fatality

Noun

Beyond the sacrifice of American lives, American households have faced higher costs.

— Justin Fishel, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
But to me, the fun of image editing is in the manual tweaks and edits, so like most AI tools, these NexSnap features sacrifice creativity for convenience.

— Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of sacrifice

Noun

Homecoming aside, there’s still the Trawler to worry about, a fact we’re reminded of when another victim turns up on a playground, this time with a pentagram carved into his back and fish corpses shoved into his wounds.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
After Bateman’s September 2022 arrest, his child victims were placed in protective custody.

— Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of victim

Noun

The flooding has also resulted in widespread casualties at the border between Nepal and China’s Tibet region.

— Callum Sutherland, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
The true scale of the casualties may take days to become clear, however, with power and communication lines swept away in some areas.

— Matteo Moschella, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of casualty

Noun

Granted exclusive access to the nest, the BBC witnessed some of the raptors’ striking feeding behavior, in which the male drops prey in midair and the female rolls upside down to snatch it in her talons.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Nearly an hour after a pod separated a humpback whale calf from its mother, the orcas resurfaced carrying their prey between them.

— Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of prey

Noun

Mayer’s three professional defeats have now all come in England, following split-decision losses to Alycia Baumgardner in London in 2022 and Natasha Jonas in Liverpool in 2024.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
After missing the playoffs in 2025, Martin started off on a great note, handing a solid Mansfield program a 38-35 loss.

— Charles Baggarly August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of loss

Noun

For months, many at City Hall had expected Raman to make a stink if she was yanked from her post, transforming herself into a martyr.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 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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“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collateral%20damage. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of collateral damage

noun

Example Sentences

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