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
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Part of that is the inevitable churn of football; a major departure, such as Edu’s, is always likely to have a knock-on effect, particularly for those who effectively formed his department.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
As conflict escalates in Iran with knock-on effects across the Middle East, vast swaths of regional airspace have closed or emptied.
—Francesca Street, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
The closed roads had the worst knock-on effects for the delegates, with some attendees walking miles through New Delhi to get out of the conference, with no taxis available and no shuttle service in place.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
This has created knock-on effects that have been similarly devastating.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 2 Feb. 2026
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James McNicholas, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
As conflict escalates in Iran with knock-on effects across the Middle East, vast swaths of regional airspace have closed or emptied.
—Francesca Street, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
The closed roads had the worst knock-on effects for the delegates, with some attendees walking miles through New Delhi to get out of the conference, with no taxis available and no shuttle service in place.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
This has created knock-on effects that have been similarly devastating.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 2 Feb. 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 11 Mar. 2026.
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