domino effect
noun /ˈdɒmɪnəʊ ɪfekt/
/ˈdɑːmɪnəʊ ɪfekt/
[usually singular]- a situation in which one event causes a series of similar events to happen one after the other
- Employers fear a domino effect if the strike is successful (= that there will be many other strikes as a result).
Word OriginFrom a comparison with the effect of standing a line of dominoes on end and then pushing one over, so that it falls and pushes the next one over, and so on, until all the dominoes fall in turn.