plural knock-on effects
chiefly British
: an indirect or secondary effect
The heat wave has had critical knock-on effects. Surging electricity demand and stress on the power grid triggered power outages …—
Umair Irfan
Umair IrfanOver the past 12 months, asking prices [for houses] have gone up by 9.5%. This has a knock-on effect for renters. UK rents rose by 8.3% in the last three months …—theguardian.com (London)
compare domino effect, ripple effect
theguardian.com (London)Examples of knock-on effect in a Sentence
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So her government feels that the regional environment has become significantly more dangerous, because of China’s growing military power and tensions over Taiwan, North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs, Moscow’s activity in the region, and the knock-on effect of tensions in the Middle East.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 26 Apr. 2026
While much of the world’s economy has shown resilience in the face of the worst disruption to energy supplies in modern times, the knock-on effects of the conflict are starting to push up inflation while raising alarm bells about food supplies and prompting downgrades to economic growth.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Then there's the knock-on effect for even lower income countries.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
The war’s other knock-on effects, including 72% inflation in March, weak demand, low liquidity, falling incomes, and deep uncertainty have hit wholesalers and retailers as well.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
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Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 26 Apr. 2026
While much of the world’s economy has shown resilience in the face of the worst disruption to energy supplies in modern times, the knock-on effects of the conflict are starting to push up inflation while raising alarm bells about food supplies and prompting downgrades to economic growth.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Then there's the knock-on effect for even lower income countries.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
The war’s other knock-on effects, including 72% inflation in March, weak demand, low liquidity, falling incomes, and deep uncertainty have hit wholesalers and retailers as well.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knock-on effect
Cite this Entry
“Knock-on effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knock-on%20effect. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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