What does "ripple effect" mean?

The circumstance in which one event instigates an expansive set of other events.

Ripple effect

Common synonyms include: domino, ecological effect, ricochet, secondary effect, systemic impact, waterfall effect.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The circumstance in which one event instigates an expansive set of other events.
"Defaults in America's mortgage lending businesses are causing a ripple effect through the major banks in other continents."

"Defaults in America's mortgage lending businesses are causing a ripple effect through the major banks in other continents."

An analogy to the spreading ripples on a body of water after an object has struck the surface.