plural knock-on effects
chiefly British
: an indirect or secondary effect
The heat wave has had critical knock-on effects. Surging electricity demand and stress on the power grid triggered power outages …—
Umair Irfan
Umair IrfanOver the past 12 months, asking prices [for houses] have gone up by 9.5%. This has a knock-on effect for renters. UK rents rose by 8.3% in the last three months …—theguardian.com (London)
compare domino effect, ripple effect
theguardian.com (London)Examples of knock-on effect in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There have been knock-on effects of the Saudi influence, though.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Downgrades could have series knock-on effects on French borrowing costs, as measured by the yield on its government bonds, economists warn.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
The figure is calculated by using states’ restitution for poached big-game animals and the loss of hunting-license revenue, which has a knock-on effect of loss of federal excise-tax dollars to states.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 11 Sep. 2025
Another worry is the potential knock-on effect in many Eastern Kentucky communities, where hospitals are among the biggest employers and big contributors to the local economy.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock-on effect
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Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Downgrades could have series knock-on effects on French borrowing costs, as measured by the yield on its government bonds, economists warn.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
The figure is calculated by using states’ restitution for poached big-game animals and the loss of hunting-license revenue, which has a knock-on effect of loss of federal excise-tax dollars to states.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 11 Sep. 2025
Another worry is the potential knock-on effect in many Eastern Kentucky communities, where hospitals are among the biggest employers and big contributors to the local economy.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock-on effect
Cite this Entry
“Knock-on effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knock-on%20effect. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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