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
And the real-world collateral damage is already piling up.
—
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
That raises concerns about how accurate and timely the data might be—and what the collateral damage could look like.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Their leaders are straddling a fine line between capitulation and confrontation, hoping to avoid becoming collateral damage.
—Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The school’s partners are also potential collateral damage.
—Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
That raises concerns about how accurate and timely the data might be—and what the collateral damage could look like.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Their leaders are straddling a fine line between capitulation and confrontation, hoping to avoid becoming collateral damage.
—Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The school’s partners are also potential collateral damage.
—Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 18 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 22 Apr. 2025.
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