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
The war’s other knock-on effects, including 72% inflation in March, weak demand, low liquidity, falling incomes, and deep uncertainty have hit wholesalers and retailers as well.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
War’s knock-on effects sink in beyond stocks The effects of the Iran war are increasingly being seen in the real economy, not just the stock market.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
That means the economic consequences of the war – higher energy costs and their varied knock-on effects – are likely to well outlast the fighting.
—Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Societies with high percentages of young people, both under 15 or in places with a youth bulge, can have other serious global knock-on effects.
—John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knock-on effect
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Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
War’s knock-on effects sink in beyond stocks The effects of the Iran war are increasingly being seen in the real economy, not just the stock market.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
That means the economic consequences of the war – higher energy costs and their varied knock-on effects – are likely to well outlast the fighting.
—Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Societies with high percentages of young people, both under 15 or in places with a youth bulge, can have other serious global knock-on effects.
—John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 31 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 29 Apr. 2026.
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