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

See Examples For:

slippery slope

When children’s mental health and cognitive development are at risk, implying that screens can be good in some circumstances is a slippery slope toward a worse future.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

Admittedly, answering emails on the weekend can be a slippery slope.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 18, 2026

“That is a slippery slope of theming that can go wrong really fast,” she adds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026

Liverpool MP Paula Barker warned of a "slippery slope when safety concerns are ignored" at football stadiums, referencing the Hillsborough disaster.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2025

As Douglas suspected, the Court in Terry had begun its slide down a very slippery slope.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander