collateral damage

NOUN

unintentional damage to non-military people or property during war

Synonyms

WEAK

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Multiyear conversions often reduce this collateral damage and remain one of the most reliable, low-error strategies for reducing taxes over time.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

This targeted approach allows the immune system to remove threats efficiently while minimizing collateral damage to nearby tissue.

From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026

No one is safe from being collateral damage by the time Jamie Bell plays Niall later in life.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

It prevents large concentrations of civilians at the airport, which makes it easier to manage in an emergency and lowers the risk of collateral damage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

But the collateral damage of this era of narrowed learning is far harder to measure and will be recognized, if at all, only years into the future.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove