Synonyms

domino effect

American

noun

the cumulative effect that results when one event precipitates a series of like events.

domino effect British

noun

a series of similar or related events occurring as a direct and inevitable result of one initial event

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of domino effect

First recorded in 1965–70

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.

The selloff may have been exacerbated by a domino effect of investors trying to front-run selling their shares, in Gastwirth’s opinion.

From MarketWatch

There is also a domino effect to estrangements.

From The Wall Street Journal

The raid’s domino effect has raised concerns about the welfare of children in affected households.

From Los Angeles Times

Tricolor Holdings filed for bankruptcy in September, coming under a cloud of suspicion about its business practices and sparking fears of a domino effect on banks.

From MarketWatch

Understanding of tipping points has improved since the last report, its authors said, allowing for greater confidence in estimating when one might spark a domino effect of catastrophic and often irreversible disasters.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023