Skip to main content
domino effect

domino effect

9 4.0
A chain of events in which one event causes the next to happen
  • noun
  • /ˈdɑːmɪnoʊ ɪˈfɛkt/
translation icon : efecto dominó
  • The purpose of lowering the Federal Funds rate is to create a domino effect that will eventually stimulate the economy.

And then, and it's a domino effect from there.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • An imbalance in the information value chain would likely have a negative domino effect on the production plans of manufacturers and also cause either slow-moving inventory or a shortage of inventory in suppliers' warehouses.

    Academic text (2003)
  • At least 390 teachers have been transferred to fill holes as layoffs created a massive domino effect across the 51-school district.

    Blog text (13)
  • However, a failure to meet challenges will create a domino effect across the entire organization.

    Blog text (32)
  • The domino effect was simply too overwhelming.

  • I would come to see that such incidents had a domino effect.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Your exit timing then has a domino effect on everything else that comes after getting off the plane.

    Blog text (8)
  • The decline in crop production and higher grain prices will also have a domino effect on the price of meat.

    Blog text (26)
  • And so you saw this slow domino effect of the women's sports being destroyed.

  • The obvious drawback of this change is that it may result in a domino effect, causing areas further downwind to miss their own attainment deadlines.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Changing one small policy can trigger a domino effect that impacts many departments in the organization.

Synonyms

cascade
vsdomino effect
23 5.3

A series of events where one event causes the next

is about a single event starting similar related happenings in sequence
chain of events
vsdomino effect
19 3.2

A series of connected events where each one causes the next

is caused by a single initial event triggering the whole sequence
knock-on effect
vsdomino effect
  • UK
2 4.7

An indirect result of an event that causes other changes

focuses on direct sequential causation rather than indirect secondary influence
galloping domino
vsdomino effect
  • Informal
9.9

A fast chain of problems where each causes the next

describes the same series but without implying such rapid escalation

How Widespread

butterfly effect
  • Specialized
1 7.9
domino effect
9 4.0
chain reaction
  • Specialized
1 4.1
to cascade
17 4.7
isolated
59 4.5

Surface Forms

domino effect singular

Morphology

domino + effect

The phrase combines 'domino' (the game piece that, when toppled, causes others to fall) with 'effect' (a resulting change), so the idea of a chain reaction is directly inferable from the constituents. This metaphorical pattern is common across many languages, making the meaning immediately clear to learners who know both words.

Etymology

Domino effect comes from the image of a row of domino tiles. When one tile falls and knocks the next so the tiles fall one after another, the phrase means 'one event causes a series of similar events'.