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
The lawsuit was initially filed in December 2023 after Hernandez became collateral damage when Blueface mentioned her in a back-and-forth with Soulja Boy on social media.
—
Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Will there be collateral damage as the economy adjusts to this new tariff regime?
—Jenni Reid,chloe Taylor,sawdah Bhaimiya,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2025
The unfortunate part of paying the price is that there can be collateral damage.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2025
Tuskegee Airmen, WASPs The Tuskegee Airmen, once American heroes, nearly became collateral damage in a political battle.
—Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 19 Mar. 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.
Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Will there be collateral damage as the economy adjusts to this new tariff regime?
—Jenni Reid,chloe Taylor,sawdah Bhaimiya,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2025
The unfortunate part of paying the price is that there can be collateral damage.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2025
Tuskegee Airmen, WASPs The Tuskegee Airmen, once American heroes, nearly became collateral damage in a political battle.
—Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 19 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 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share