collateral damage
noun
: injury inflicted on something other than an intended target
specifically
: civilian casualties of a military operation
Examples of collateral damage in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
From the initial sub-orbital drop-in that leaves deep craters in the ground, your Hunter deals serious collateral damage.
—
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
In the last three years, the central macroeconomic question has been whether Fed interest rate hikes would succeed in bringing down inflation, and how much collateral damage the hikes would cause along the way.
—Axios, 20 Mar. 2025
Other scenarios where Disney faced controversy and faced collateral damage at the box office include Solo: A Star Wars Story.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025
The impact on tequila - a bright spot for the U.S. spirits industry amid a sharp downturn in broader spirits sales - shows the collateral damage of Trump's effort to rip up and remake global trade relationships in favor of the United States.
—Emma Rumney, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
In the last three years, the central macroeconomic question has been whether Fed interest rate hikes would succeed in bringing down inflation, and how much collateral damage the hikes would cause along the way.
—Axios, 20 Mar. 2025
Other scenarios where Disney faced controversy and faced collateral damage at the box office include Solo: A Star Wars Story.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025
The impact on tequila - a bright spot for the U.S. spirits industry amid a sharp downturn in broader spirits sales - shows the collateral damage of Trump's effort to rip up and remake global trade relationships in favor of the United States.
—Emma Rumney, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
Cite this Entry
“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collateral%20damage. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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