Synonyms

ripple effect

American

noun

a spreading effect or series of consequences caused by a single action or event.

ripple effect British

noun

the repercussions of an event or situation experienced far beyond its immediate location

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

ripple effect

I think we should all be giving to our community, and they’ll have a knock on a ripple effect, and we can all start looking after each other.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

The ripple effect could spread as far as the Western Isles where the defence research firm Qinetic has drone testing facilities on Benbecula and South Uist.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

This ripple effect of such constitutional arguments also came to light in U.S. v.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026

Yates doesn’t believe Princeton’s decision will have a ripple effect.

From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 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