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.

“Did you calculate the collateral damage before pulling the trigger?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

At least one of the UN agency's centres in Nangarhar province "sustained significant collateral damage", the IOM said.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

There are those not only livid with Lord Mandelson, but livid at the collateral damage being done to the prime minister.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

Markets will differentiate between assets that suffered structural damage and those that experienced collateral damage.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 3, 2026

I felt immediately sorry Dadi had become collateral damage; I’ve never spoken to her that way.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon