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
Recent Examples on the Web
The question Ahamed was left with after his research is how Germany and France set off a butterfly effect in the 1870s.
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
The original show's opening moments see its characters watching a Russian step on the moon, and that one historical change sets off a butterfly effect creating a whole new history for mankind.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
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.
—
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
See All Example Sentences for butterfly effect
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Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
The original show's opening moments see its characters watching a Russian step on the moon, and that one historical change sets off a butterfly effect creating a whole new history for mankind.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
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.
—
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
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 3 Jul. 2026.
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