domino theory
a theory that if one country is taken over by an expansionist, especially Communist, neighbor, party, or the like, the nearby nations will be taken over one after another.
Origin of domino theory
1Words Nearby domino theory
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use domino theory in a sentence
So, yes, be wary of Greek dominos falling, but remember the domino theory was wrong during the Cold War yet it sowed fear.
Chaos Over New Elections Deepens Fear of a Greece Chain Reaction | Zachary Karabell | May 16, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTTo make a brisk story very short, Pyle believes in the domino theory, and a wacko “Third Force.”
The domino theory deception makes the claim that if one thing happens another will invariably follow.
Sequential Problem Solving | Fredric Lozo
Cultural definitions for domino theory
The idea that if one key nation in a region fell to control of communists, others would follow like toppling dominoes. The theory was used by many American leaders to justify American intervention in the Vietnam War. (See policy of containment.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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