ripple effect
Americannoun
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a spreading effect or series of consequences caused by a single action or event.
noun
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the repercussions of an event or situation experienced far beyond its immediate location
Etymology
Origin of ripple effect
First recorded in 1965–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"There's a ripple effect right across the family and relatives, you know, that will have an impact today, so my heart goes out to them," Brown added.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
But experts say a major disruption to natural-gas production would have a ripple effect on agriculture.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Currie referred to “molecular contagion” whereby the ripple effect of the closure of the Strait Of Hormuz is spreading out around the world.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
“San Francisco has demonstrated this larger ripple effect of success,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
Tarun Das was heading the Confederation of Indian Industry when the wall fell in Berlin, and he saw its ripple effect felt all the way to India.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.