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 book bans to budget cuts, from anti-DEI policies to culture war campaigns, the targets may be political, but the collateral damage is generational.
—
Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
But the collateral damage of this popular form of entertainment doesn’t end there.
—John J. Lennon, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
While this hardly stopped Combs’s momentum, this event can be viewed as a part of a pattern of collateral damage that Diddy was willing to leave behind on his path to industry dominance.
—Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025
This sets Ellie on a revenge quest against Abby, one where the rest of her crew are collateral damage that Ellie has no problem eliminating.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
But the collateral damage of this popular form of entertainment doesn’t end there.
—John J. Lennon, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
While this hardly stopped Combs’s momentum, this event can be viewed as a part of a pattern of collateral damage that Diddy was willing to leave behind on his path to industry dominance.
—Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025
This sets Ellie on a revenge quest against Abby, one where the rest of her crew are collateral damage that Ellie has no problem eliminating.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 12 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 3 Jun. 2025.
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