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
Scientists at Harvard say the cancellations of their research grants are collateral damage in the battle with the Trump administration and worry some scientific breakthroughs will never be discovered.
—
Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 May 2025
But kids’ first defenses against the virus are likely to be that attack’s collateral damage.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 May 2025
CFOs and supply chain leaders face the challenge to automate compliance or risk becoming collateral damage in the tariff wars.
—Jessica Mendoza, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
The American Girl Disney Princess Cinderella Doll may be collateral damage in a trade ...
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 2 May 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.
Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 May 2025
But kids’ first defenses against the virus are likely to be that attack’s collateral damage.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 May 2025
CFOs and supply chain leaders face the challenge to automate compliance or risk becoming collateral damage in the tariff wars.
—Jessica Mendoza, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
The American Girl Disney Princess Cinderella Doll may be collateral damage in a trade ...
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 2 May 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 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share