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 Evolution brings all kinds of collateral damage. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026 Well, one person’s cultural tragedy is another, far richer person’s accidental collateral damage. Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026 Destitute and determined not to become collateral damage, Rae disguises herself as a man and becomes employed at a squalid turpentine camp in Georgia named Swallow Hill. Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026 Peaceful protests are a warning of what happens when the federal government ignores its constitutional obligations and treats human lives as collateral damage. The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collateral damage
Noun
  • The majority of these strikes happen during the summer, causing around 20 fatalities each year, according to the NWS.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
  • As of March 12, the 13th day of the war, official tallies from the UAE's Ministry of Defense show air defenses intercepted 268 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,514 drones, with six fatalities and 131 injuries reported.
    Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Going to the gym and family sacrifices.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Maybe the closest thing the movie has to a thesis comes when one of the contestants flies a drone to the sisters and tries to offer a compromise via a loophole in the rules that could spare all of them, if Grace is willing to make a repugnant sacrifice.
    Jada Yuan, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • But many of the workers also presented themselves as victims of racially motivated government policies.
    Boyce Upholt, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Crump is known for representing relatives of victims of high-profile police brutality cases.
    Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Schlossnagle's mustache was a casualty of a late-game implosion by the Texas bullpen against Ole Miss (16-3).
    Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 14 Mar. 2026
  • There were no reports of casualties.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The surrounding ecosystem at the discovery site also supports frogs, crickets, and beetles that may serve as prey for the scorpion, according to the study.
    Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
  • That same habitat supports frogs, crickets and beetles — creatures that may serve as prey for the little scorpion.
    Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Kawhi Leonard, arguably the NBA’s best player over the past three months, sprained his left ankle in the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s loss to the Sacramento Kings.
    Janis Carr, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
  • The neutral-court loss to a middling Baylor team.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Kirk’s supporters, including a former staffer in the DeSantis administration, collected screenshots and tried to get people fired for disrupting their fake martyr narrative.
    Karen J. Leader, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The present attacks in Iran will likely make Ali Khamenei a martyr and only solidify the resistance to freedom and democracy.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 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 18 Mar. 2026.

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