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Recent Examples of collateral damage
When immigration enforcement enters exam rooms, labor units, and postpartum clinics, the health system itself becomes collateral damage.
—
Jesus Ruiz, STAT, 27 Jan. 2026
Short’s image has proven collateral damage in the long project to solve her crime.
—Nathan Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Lucy insists that Bree would never survive that kind of devastation, so there must be something else Stephen can do that would hurt and humiliate her without making Bree the collateral damage.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2026
When California signals that even the most extreme acts of school violence may eventually be reconsidered and reduced, deterrence erodes — and schools become collateral damage in the process.
—Tracie Thill, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
Jesus Ruiz, STAT, 27 Jan. 2026
Short’s image has proven collateral damage in the long project to solve her crime.
—Nathan Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Lucy insists that Bree would never survive that kind of devastation, so there must be something else Stephen can do that would hurt and humiliate her without making Bree the collateral damage.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2026
When California signals that even the most extreme acts of school violence may eventually be reconsidered and reduced, deterrence erodes — and schools become collateral damage in the process.
—Tracie Thill, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collateral damage
Noun
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The council’s emergency declaration on bike safety was modeled on one that Carlsbad approved in August 2022 after a dramatic increase in bike and e-bike collisions, including two fatalities in a 17-day period.—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
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Traffic fatalities were reported in Robeson and Rutherford counties, officials said.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Many food establishments around the country nonetheless deemed the sacrifice worthwhile today, joining a nationwide strike against ICE’s mass deportations and violence against protesters in Minneapolis and across the country.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Jan. 2026
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Closing on Friday was a sacrifice for Cafe’Ciro since it was already closed for three days over the past week due to the winter storm.—
Imelda García,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Lawmakers complained when the Justice Department made only a limited release last month, but officials said more time was needed to review an additional trove of documents that was discovered and to scour the records to ensure no sensitive information about victims was inadvertently released.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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In the car, when Irvin briefly turned his attention away from the victim, the man reached for his own gun and shot Irvin three times in the head.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One approach to addressing casualty risks is to design spacecraft to demise entirely, but this exacerbates the atmosphere pollution problem, said Boley.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Another Israeli strike in central Gaza killed one Palestinian and wounded others, according to Al-Aqsa martyrs hospital, where the casualties were taken.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Alex arrives to find Lucy literally quaking in fear, especially when Stephen summons the two of them to come meet his latest prey, whose name is Tegan.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
3 Feb. 2026
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Some fish, for instance, may be determined to exploit the octopus’s efforts, such as trying to snatch prey that the octopus has uncovered but not yet captured.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Fire in all its forms, literal and figurative and symbolic—the consuming ardor of desire, the irreversible incinerations of loss, the flaming swords of Genesis—is the central subject of Kelly Hoffer’s second collection Fire Series.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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Chickens form friendships and mourn the loss of flock mates.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those numbers likely don’t differentiate between who makes it out of the peaceful protest alive and who emerges as a martyr for the cause.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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Kirk’s allies quickly tried to tell a new story—one of Kirk as sacred martyr.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collateral%20damage. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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