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
One interceptor used, the Co-axial Unmanned Guided Autonomous Rotorcraft, releases streamers, disabling an incoming drone without risking collateral damage.
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Colin Demarest, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024
The experience of the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and the reality that a war today would be exponentially more devastating—in loss of lives, collateral damage, and the risk of regional spillover—offer additional reasons for both sides to back down.
—Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2024
In January or February 2019, then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed concern to Bolton over potential collateral damage from tighter sanctions, Bolton recalled in an interview.
—Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 26 July 2024
The flip side of this thinking can also, of course, be found in Israel, where any loss of an innocent Jewish life is mourned but the deaths of thousands of Palestinian women and children can be dismissed as collateral damage.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for collateral damage 
Colin Demarest, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024
The experience of the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and the reality that a war today would be exponentially more devastating—in loss of lives, collateral damage, and the risk of regional spillover—offer additional reasons for both sides to back down.
—Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2024
In January or February 2019, then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed concern to Bolton over potential collateral damage from tighter sanctions, Bolton recalled in an interview.
—Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 26 July 2024
The flip side of this thinking can also, of course, be found in Israel, where any loss of an innocent Jewish life is mourned but the deaths of thousands of Palestinian women and children can be dismissed as collateral damage.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for collateral damage
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'collateral damage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collateral%20damage. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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