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
Industrial fishing methods more broadly are responsible for large-scale collateral damage.
—
Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
The federal workforce represents a tiny share of overall employment; however, Trump’s federal cuts appear to causing collateral damage in the private sector, Swonk said, noting job losses at scientific labs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
The rest of us are just collateral damage in his revenge tour, where there is no such thing as collateral damage.
—Bill Mechanic, Deadline, 5 May 2025
Scientists at Harvard say the cancellations of their research grants are collateral damage in the battle with the Trump administration and worry some scientific breakthroughs will never be discovered.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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.
Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
The federal workforce represents a tiny share of overall employment; however, Trump’s federal cuts appear to causing collateral damage in the private sector, Swonk said, noting job losses at scientific labs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
The rest of us are just collateral damage in his revenge tour, where there is no such thing as collateral damage.
—Bill Mechanic, Deadline, 5 May 2025
Scientists at Harvard say the cancellations of their research grants are collateral damage in the battle with the Trump administration and worry some scientific breakthroughs will never be discovered.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 May 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 24 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share