chilling effect

noun

a discouraging or deterring effect, especially one resulting from a restrictive law or regulation.

Origin of chilling effect

First recorded in 1965–70

Words Nearby chilling effect

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chilling effect in a sentence

According to Ellis, the pushback in El Salvador had a chilling effect on the rest of the region, which until that point “hadn’t realized how much Washington cared” about deepening ties with China.
The U.S. and China Are Battling for Influence in Latin America, and the Pandemic Has Raised the Stakes | Charlie Campell/Beijing | February 4, 2021 | Time
“When it was first issued, the moratorium had a chilling effect on eviction filings,” Emily Benfer, a law professor at Wake Forest University, told Popular Science in an email.
In 2021, a new wave of evictions could also fuel a rise in COVID cases | Kat Eschner | January 4, 2021 | Popular-Science
A moderately strong La Niña weather pattern was in place, which has had a pronounced chilling effect on the eastern and central parts of the Pacific Ocean.
2020 is on track to be the hottest year in history | Sara Chodosh | December 18, 2020 | Popular-Science
Bender worries that Google’s actions could create “a chilling effect” on future AI ethics research.
We read the paper that forced Timnit Gebru out of Google. Here’s what it says. | Karen Hao | December 5, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
Regardless, the disturbing rhetoric coming from some of the president’s staff increases the risk that all poll workers face, and could have a chilling effect on the turnout of these mostly volunteer workers.
A Pennsylvania poll worker explains the painstaking process of counting votes | Kyle Brashear | November 12, 2020 | Vox

Imagine the chilling effect this would have on senators thinking about sticking around for a fourth term and beyond.
A Conservative Explains Why The GOP Could Lose | Bill Whalen | November 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“We certainly think it would have a chilling effect on the government,” said Pratt.
Of Course the Gun Lobby Is Pouncing on Ukraine to Push Their Pet Cause | Scott Bixby | February 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Suffice it to say that awareness of the risks of giving offense produces a chilling effect on the ground in Russia.
Don’t You Dare Call Russians Thin-Skinned! | Liesl Schillinger | February 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
They say such actions are bound to have a significant chilling effect on the free flow of information.
Jonathan Malis and the DOJ Leak Investigation | Daniel Klaidman | May 16, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Other researchers have worried about a possible chilling effect from the case.
Boston College’s Secret Tapes Could Bring IRA Exposure and Retribution | Mike Giglio | July 10, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
He was in evening dress, with black tie and studs which had a chilling effect, and his manner was as cold and calm as usual.
The Eternal City | Hall Caine
This speech, with the stern voice and countenance of the speaker, told with chilling effect upon the awe-stricken hearers.
The Conspiracy of Pontiac and the Indian War after the Conquest of Canada | Francis Parkman
Nothing has a more chilling effect on any business than failure to meet all indebtedness when due.
The Automobile Storage Battery | O. A. Witte
It was a frame of mind, too, which always produced a chilling effect upon my feelings towards him.
Youth | Leo Tolstoy
He used nothing like an angry or unkind word, but the negative character of the conversation had a chilling effect on my mind.
The Life of William Ewart Gladstone, Vol. 1 (of 3) | John Morley

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