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
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Part of the collateral damage was the manuscript of Thorkelín’s edition of Beowulf (though not his two transcripts).
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Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
The result is a mobile, autonomous counter-drone system that can defeat swarms of unmanned aircraft with precision and minimal collateral damage.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
This significantly decreases the likelihood of collateral damage on the forces deployed by a security guarantor, allowing that partner to be a neutral and idle spectator rather than an active belligerent.
—Omar Al-Ubaydli, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Cases are won, but not without collateral damage; relationships mend, but not without scars.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
The result is a mobile, autonomous counter-drone system that can defeat swarms of unmanned aircraft with precision and minimal collateral damage.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
This significantly decreases the likelihood of collateral damage on the forces deployed by a security guarantor, allowing that partner to be a neutral and idle spectator rather than an active belligerent.
—Omar Al-Ubaydli, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Cases are won, but not without collateral damage; relationships mend, but not without scars.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 25 Sep. 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 13 Oct. 2025.
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