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 city has been afflicted by the ebb and flow of violence for three decades — collateral damage in conflicts that exploded in eastern Congo after the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
—
Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 31 Jan. 2025
And that’s just one example of how real lives at home and abroad are becoming collateral damage of Trump’s hasty moves.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
While the lawsuits have undoubtedly targeted some properties that deserved to be foreclosed upon, the Herald’s investigation shows that Weidner’s work on behalf of these cities has also had collateral damage.
—Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
The government encouraging Americans to inform on other people or businesses will produce collateral damage.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collateral damage
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Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 31 Jan. 2025
And that’s just one example of how real lives at home and abroad are becoming collateral damage of Trump’s hasty moves.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
While the lawsuits have undoubtedly targeted some properties that deserved to be foreclosed upon, the Herald’s investigation shows that Weidner’s work on behalf of these cities has also had collateral damage.
—Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
The government encouraging Americans to inform on other people or businesses will produce collateral damage.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes, 20 Jan. 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 6 Mar. 2025.
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