ripple effect
noun
: a spreading, pervasive, and usually unintentional effect or influence
the automotive industry has a ripple effect on many other industries
compare domino effect
Examples of ripple effect in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sparked by a budget impasse, the shutdown’s ripple effects are now reaching state-level programs, with funding delays and legal constraints complicating the picture.
—
Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Those subtle changes can have big ripple effects across the globe's climate, with the cycle at times upping the chances for rain, drought, hurricanes and other chaos.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
This shame is having a ripple effect on teens’ lives.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 20 Oct. 2025
But the film shows the ripple effects of a crime like this.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ripple effect
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Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Those subtle changes can have big ripple effects across the globe's climate, with the cycle at times upping the chances for rain, drought, hurricanes and other chaos.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
This shame is having a ripple effect on teens’ lives.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 20 Oct. 2025
But the film shows the ripple effects of a crime like this.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ripple effect
Cite this Entry
“Ripple effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ripple%20effect. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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