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
Yes, rooting out Hamas would be brutal—the group welcomes civilian collateral damage and has entrenched itself in hundreds of miles of tunnels honeycombed through civilian infrastructure.
—
Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
The plot focuses on the collateral damage inflicted by drug cartels by following young Sujo (Kevin Uriel Aguilar Luna, Juan Jesús Varela), who grows up in the wake of their violence.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for collateral damage 
Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
The plot focuses on the collateral damage inflicted by drug cartels by following young Sujo (Kevin Uriel Aguilar Luna, Juan Jesús Varela), who grows up in the wake of their violence.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 20 Mar. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near collateral damage
Cite this Entry
“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collateral%20damage. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share