butterfly effect
noun
: a property of chaotic systems (such as the atmosphere) by which small changes in initial conditions can lead to large-scale and unpredictable variation in the future state of the system
Examples of butterfly effect in a Sentence
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Mostly, the film is about changing ways of life — those ways foisted and forced upon unsuspecting and innocent communities of both bears and people — and the butterfly effect that naturally (or, in some cases, unnaturally) follows.
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Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Yes, of course, the butterfly effect exists, and a world where Aldridge blossoms into a franchise player in Chicago probably isn’t a world where the Bulls get to draft Derrick Rose — those odds were already impossibly slim.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
These layers should blend naturally to create the famous butterfly effect.
—Dulce Moncada, Glamour, 23 Dec. 2025
But these criminal organizations can create butterfly effects.
—Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for butterfly effect
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Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Yes, of course, the butterfly effect exists, and a world where Aldridge blossoms into a franchise player in Chicago probably isn’t a world where the Bulls get to draft Derrick Rose — those odds were already impossibly slim.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
These layers should blend naturally to create the famous butterfly effect.
—Dulce Moncada, Glamour, 23 Dec. 2025
But these criminal organizations can create butterfly effects.
—Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for butterfly effect
Cite this Entry
“Butterfly effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butterfly%20effect. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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