PhrasesHub

toppled over like dominos

    Definitions

      • to describe a series of things falling in quick succession
        To describe a situation where multiple things or people collapse or fail one after the other in a rapid and continuous manner

    Examples of toppled over like dominos

    • The entire building seemed to topple over like dominos after the earthquake hit.

      The image presented here is of one domino falling and causing the subsequent dominos to fall in a row. In this example, the earthquake is like the first domino falling, causing the entire building to fall like a chain reaction.

    • As soon as the first investor pulled out, the entire project began to topple over like dominos.

      Here, the project is the line of dominos, and the investor's withdrawal is like the first domino falling, causing the rest of the dominos to fall.

    • The negative news reports have been toppling over like dominos, causing public opinion to shift against the politician.

      This example is similar to the second, but instead of a project falling like dominos, it's public opinion shifting against a politician. The negative news reports are equivalent to the falling dominos.

    • The series of failures at the company has caused a chain reaction, with each failure toppling over like dominos.

      This example is similar to the first, but instead of a building falling, it's a series of failures at a company. Each failure is represented by a falling domino, causing a chain reaction.

    • The casinogoers' luck suddenly turned sour, causing a chain reaction of misfortune. First, one player's bet lost, causing him to stand up and accidentally knock over his neighbor's chips. The neighbor's frustration grew as more and more of his bets were lost, and soon a line of toppled-over stacks of chips snaked through the crowded gambling floor.

      This example illustrates how a string of failures or misfortunes can unfold like a row of dominos that fall one after another.

    • The building inspector discovered a series of structural flaws in the tall skyscraper, leading to an evacuation order. First, a beam was found to be severely compromised, which caused the weight of the adjacent floor to shift and topple another beam. And so it continued, with each flaw contributing to the building's slow and disastrous collapse.

      This example demonstrates how the discovery of a first flaw can lead to a cascading effect that compounds the problem and causes a more significant failure.

    • After the head coach announced his retirement, a chain reaction of resignations followed. First, the assistant coaches felt the time was right to move on themselves. Then, some star players opted to leave as well, realizing they might not have a chance to win without their former mentor leading the pack.

      This example shows how the departure of a crucial figure can trigger a series of similar departures as others follow suit.

    • The buzz of excitement in the newsroom grew louder as each reporter uncovered a fresh piece of evidence against the corrupt politician. First, a journalist stumbled upon a financial discrepancy, which led to further sleuthing and the discovery of a web of lies and corruption. As the evidence mounted, the magnitude of the scandal became clear, eventually leading to the politician's downfall.

      This example demonstrates how one discovery can pave the way for others, in this case, serving as a catalyst for a larger expose.


    Conclusion

    The idiom "toppled over like dominos" is often used to depict a chain reaction of events or actions leading to a rapid and continuous series of failures or collapses. It can be used in both literal and figurative contexts to emphasize the swift and cascading nature of the events.

    Origin of "toppled over like dominos"

    The origin of the idiom "toppled over like dominos" can be traced back to the popular game of dominoes. In this game, players line up a series of domino pieces and then topple the first one, causing a chain reaction where each piece falls in turn. This visual representation of falling dominoes has been used metaphorically to describe a similar chain reaction of events or actions in real-life situations. The idiom has since become a common way to vividly illustrate the rapid and successive collapse of multiple things or people. Its widespread usage has cemented its place in the English language as a powerful and descriptive phrase.