ripple effect

noun

: a spreading, pervasive, and usually unintentional effect or influence
the automotive industry has a ripple effect on many other industries
compare domino effect

Examples of ripple effect in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The 31-year-old singer, along with director Costantini, sat down with The Times to unpack the ripple effects from that tumultuous summer of 2025 — as well as future plans for the burgeoning Latina pop star. Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026 This month’s events may free your mind further or open up more possibilities to see the world, which will have ripple effects beyond just February. Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026 Everything has a ripple effect. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 29 Jan. 2026 Given its size and importance to our DFW operation, any major impact to it has a ripple effect throughout our network. Ted Reed, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ripple effect

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ripple effect was in 1966

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Cite this Entry

“Ripple effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ripple%20effect. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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