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

And, those ripple effects are now showing up in meaningful ways. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025

The ripple effect of those strains is already showing in campus accessibility offices, where diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety, and depression are rising—and so are requests for extended time on coursework. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025

If there are no zooplankton around, there can be a ripple effect up the food chain, especially on the fish that depend on zooplankton. —Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 12 Dec. 2025

And while the shoes’ combination of hypercritical foams and carbon fiber is primarily intended for race days, technology tends to trickle down to sneakers for every day, recovery and tempo runs — creating a ripple effect across the marketplace. —Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 10 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ripple effect

• aftereffect
• interconnect
• affect
• aspect
• bedecked
• bisect
• collect
• connect
• correct
• deflect
• detect
• direct