🗓️ Idiom: A Ripple Effect (n)
💬 Meaning
- A situation where one action causes a series of other effects or changes.
- It refers to how a small change can spread and impact many areas over time.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The manager’s sudden resignation had a ripple effect across all departments.
- Updating the billing system created a ripple effect that improved customer service.
- The policy shift caused a ripple effect in company culture and team dynamics.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom comes from the image of ripples spreading across water after a stone is thrown in. In business, it describes how one decision or event can affect many other parts of the organization.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The decision to cut back on travel budgets had __________ across the entire operations team.
Answer
a ripple effect
2. Choose the correct meaning of “a ripple effect”:
A) A direct and immediate result
B) A small event with no consequence
C) A chain reaction caused by one event
D) A personal decision
Answer
C) A chain reaction caused by one event
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“The leadership change had effects in many different parts of the business.” → Change the sentence using: a ripple effect
Answer
The leadership change had a ripple effect across many parts of the business.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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