cas·cade
(ˌ)kas-ˈkād 
1
: a steep usually small fall of water
especially
: one of a series
2
a
: something arranged or occurring in a series or in a succession of stages so that each stage derives from or acts upon the product of the preceding
blood clotting involves a biochemical cascade
b
: a fall of material (such as lace) that hangs in a zigzag line and that is used especially in clothing and draperies
3
: something falling or rushing forth in quantity
a cascade of sound
a cascade of events
Her hair was arranged in a cascade of curls.
cascaded; cascading
: to fall, pour, or rush in or as if in a cascade
The water cascaded over the rocks.
Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders.
Examples of cascade in a Sentence
Noun
Her hair was arranged in a cascade of curls.
That decision set off a cascade of events.
Verb
The water cascades over the rocks.
Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Others relish the frisky sounds of sleigh bells and triumphant cascades of horns that embellish so many holiday classics.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cascade
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Noun
However, this study is the first to suggest that a volcanic eruption may have been the first domino to fall in a cascade of events that led to the pandemic.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Others relish the frisky sounds of sleigh bells and triumphant cascades of horns that embellish so many holiday classics.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
The Princess of Wales bundled up in blue to greet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and first lady Elke Büdenbender at Heathrow Airport with Prince William, where her hair was pushed past her shoulders and cascaded down her back.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cascade
Cite this Entry
“Cascade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cascade. Accessed 6 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cascade
1 of 2 noun
cas·cade
kas-ˈkād
: a steep usually small waterfall
cascade
2 of 2 verb
cascaded; cascading
: to fall in or as if in a cascade
Medical Definition
cascade
noun
cas·cade
(ˌ)kas-ˈkād
: a molecular, biochemical, or physiological process occurring in a succession of stages each of which is closely related to or depends on the output of the previous stage
a cascade of enzymatic reactions
the cascade of events comprising the immune response
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