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
Instability in the Middle East region will not only restrain growth in the region but is also likely to have a knock-on effect on costs, selling prices, and consumer demand in the rest of the business, warned British retailer Next on Thursday.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026
Though China says its energy independence shields it from the worst of the crisis, experts say the knock-on effects could be huge for the world’s second-biggest economy as its largest markets are forced to cut down on Chinese imports.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Overall wage growth has been slowing for years – a knock-on effect from the tighter job market.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Still, these deployments resulted in knock-on effects that required the use of local police to bring about or preserve order.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knock-on effect
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Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026
Though China says its energy independence shields it from the worst of the crisis, experts say the knock-on effects could be huge for the world’s second-biggest economy as its largest markets are forced to cut down on Chinese imports.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Overall wage growth has been slowing for years – a knock-on effect from the tighter job market.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Still, these deployments resulted in knock-on effects that required the use of local police to bring about or preserve order.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
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 31 Mar. 2026.
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