damage control

noun

: measures taken to offset or minimize damage to reputation, credibility, or public image caused by a controversial act, remark, or revelation

Examples of damage control in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
For Fritz, a lot of spring and early summer is about damage control. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 May 2026 Managing and pretending and damage control and feeling and crying. Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 13 May 2026 Syrian officials scrambled to do damage control. ABC News, 28 June 2026 This proactive approach, rather than post-failure damage control, is crucial for responsible AI scaling. Cindy Rodriguez Constable, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for damage control

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of damage control was in 1933

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Damage control.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damage%20control. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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