slippery slope

American  

noun

slippery slopes plural

1. a dangerous and irreversible course.

   the slippery slope from narcotics to prison.

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slippery slope Idioms  

1. A dangerous course, one that leads easily to catastrophe, as in He's on a slippery slope, compromising his values to please both the bosses and the union. This metaphoric expression alludes to traversing a slick hillside, in constant danger of falling. [Mid-1900s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• slippery slopes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of slippery slope

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

It’s also a slippery slope: once you get used to having a little more cash in your bank account, it can be tempting to lower the percentage even further.

From MarketWatch • May 30, 2026

Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada have all fallen down that slippery slope.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

This "slippery slope" argument has been repeatedly raised during debates at Holyrood.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

For others, keeping secrets at all feels like a slippery slope.

From Slate • Sep. 10, 2025

Plus, once you start giving things away for free it’s a slippery slope.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman