plural knock-on effects
chiefly British
: an indirect or secondary effect
The heat wave has had critical knock-on effects. Surging electricity demand and stress on the power grid triggered power outages …—
Umair Irfan
Umair IrfanOver the past 12 months, asking prices [for houses] have gone up by 9.5%. This has a knock-on effect for renters. UK rents rose by 8.3% in the last three months …—theguardian.com (London)
compare domino effect, ripple effect
theguardian.com (London)Examples of knock-on effect in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These knock-on effects were not addressed in this piece and are also important to consider.
—Chris Gunster, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Also, the spread of knowledge had unanticipated knock-on effects.
—Scott D. Anthony, Big Think, 16 Sep. 2025
There have been knock-on effects of the Saudi influence, though.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Downgrades could have series knock-on effects on French borrowing costs, as measured by the yield on its government bonds, economists warn.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock-on effect
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Chris Gunster, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Also, the spread of knowledge had unanticipated knock-on effects.
—Scott D. Anthony, Big Think, 16 Sep. 2025
There have been knock-on effects of the Saudi influence, though.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Downgrades could have series knock-on effects on French borrowing costs, as measured by the yield on its government bonds, economists warn.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock-on effect
Cite this Entry
“Knock-on effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knock-on%20effect. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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