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
What To Know Bessent was speaking to Ingraham about the economy, arguing that oil prices and their knock-on effects on energy could change how young people feel about the economy.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Improvements in forecasting can have a positive knock-on effect elsewhere, say by easing cost and cost negotiation pressures or streamlining sourcing and order placement through earlier engagement and clearer timelines.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 19 Nov. 2025
The method of allowing the debt burden to shrink thanks to lower rates is called financial repression, and could have knock-on effects on other parts of the economy over time.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2025
Such systems are difficult to manage and control, and their complexity means that even small changes could have cascading knock-on effects that humans might be unable to manage effectively.
—JSTOR Daily, 13 Nov. 2025
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Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Improvements in forecasting can have a positive knock-on effect elsewhere, say by easing cost and cost negotiation pressures or streamlining sourcing and order placement through earlier engagement and clearer timelines.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 19 Nov. 2025
The method of allowing the debt burden to shrink thanks to lower rates is called financial repression, and could have knock-on effects on other parts of the economy over time.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2025
Such systems are difficult to manage and control, and their complexity means that even small changes could have cascading knock-on effects that humans might be unable to manage effectively.
—JSTOR Daily, 13 Nov. 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 Nov. 2025.
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