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
  • The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel previously alleged that there were 44 victims throughout 2025.
    — Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The victim, a 15-year-old female, was home with her 5-year-old and 7-year-old family members when Reyes violently made entry into the residence after breaking a hole in the wall between the apartments.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • At a moment when the industry is redefining its future, inclusion can be part of the solution, not a casualty of contraction.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • There were no reports of casualties, the health authorities said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of casualty
Noun
  • Humpback whales create bubble clouds to corral their prey and then lunge through the center to swallow the small fish.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
  • African lions are considered vulnerable, zoo officials said, adding that their population has decreased by 50% over the last 25 years because of habitat loss, loss of prey and conflicts between humans and lions.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 10 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 13 Aug. 2026.

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