knock on
Rap on door
Knock on describes an effect that spreads from one thing to another in sequence, like dominoes falling.
A knock-on effect is an indirect consequence—a factory closure has knock-on effects for local businesses.
In rugby, a knock-on is an illegal forward fumble of the ball.
The phrase captures how impact travels through connected systems.
- bangSudden loud noise
- poundWeight, strike, or kennel
- chain reactionSelf-sustaining causal sequence
- domino effectSequential causation phenomenon
- domino theoryContagious political collapse belief
rap · ripple effect · chain of events · cause and effect · repercussion · signal · wake up call · aftermath · causality · rugby · doorbell · consequence · result · superstition · wood · ripple · thump · tap
transmission of effects (knock-on effect idiom)
knock onisolate
Separate from others
contain · localize · compartmentalize · insulate · quarantine