ripple effect
Americannoun
noun
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.
Quarantine rules can send a child home for days or weeks, causing a ripple effect on childcare responsibilities for parents in a country that does not have federally mandated paid sick time.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
As for third-order impacts, at this point the blow to global bond markets from higher inflation fears must already be counted as one such ripple effect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Workday shares saw their best-ever single-day performance Thursday on the back of buyout rumors, creating a ripple effect across the entire software sector.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
The increase in oil prices has also affected diesel and fertilizer prices, creating a ripple effect through several sectors, including agriculture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 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.
