slippery slope
noun
: a course of action that seems to lead inevitably from one action or result to another with unintended consequences
Examples of slippery slope in a Sentence
His behavior will lead him down a slippery slope to ruin.
Recent Examples on the Web
This bill is a slippery slope to all kinds of problems.
—
Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Companies long feared Democrats’ creation of the negotiation program would be a slippery slope that would lead to deeper cuts.
—Rachel Cohrs, STAT, 6 Mar. 2024
But if the fear of sliding down a slippery slope is so great, then other important medical decisions would never have been approached, such as allowing hospice patients to have very large amounts of morphine at their homes.
—Linda Marie Thayer, Twin Cities, 3 Mar. 2024
This can make a $100 traffic ticket a slippery slope into justice system involvement.
—Courtney E. Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Feb. 2024
This is the trepidation of institutionalists, who make a slippery slope argument on impeachment.
—David Sivak, Washington Examiner, 11 Jan. 2024
There is a belief that such offers are a slippery slope—well, maybe.
—Ilia Kiselevich, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
However, this can turn send us down a slippery slope.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 19 Jan. 2024
And is that a step down a slippery slope that leads to restrictions that many people would not want on free speech?
—Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2023
Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Companies long feared Democrats’ creation of the negotiation program would be a slippery slope that would lead to deeper cuts.
—Rachel Cohrs, STAT, 6 Mar. 2024
But if the fear of sliding down a slippery slope is so great, then other important medical decisions would never have been approached, such as allowing hospice patients to have very large amounts of morphine at their homes.
—Linda Marie Thayer, Twin Cities, 3 Mar. 2024
This can make a $100 traffic ticket a slippery slope into justice system involvement.
—Courtney E. Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Feb. 2024
This is the trepidation of institutionalists, who make a slippery slope argument on impeachment.
—David Sivak, Washington Examiner, 11 Jan. 2024
There is a belief that such offers are a slippery slope—well, maybe.
—Ilia Kiselevich, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
However, this can turn send us down a slippery slope.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 19 Jan. 2024
And is that a step down a slippery slope that leads to restrictions that many people would not want on free speech?
—Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slippery slope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near slippery slope
Cite this Entry
“Slippery slope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slippery%20slope. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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