slippery slope

noun

: a course of action that seems to lead inevitably from one action or result to another with unintended consequences

Examples of slippery slope in a Sentence

His behavior will lead him down a slippery slope to ruin.

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Experts worry that tracking teens’ locations can turn into a slippery slope that can at times hinder a teen’s relationship with their parents and harm their developing sense of autonomy, as well as create a false sense of security. —

Sara Novak, Scientific American, 18 Oct. 2024 What could happen next is the very definition of a slippery slope for Telegram’s billion users. —

Zak Doffman, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024 This is where flirting can become a slippery slope. —

Christina Pérez, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2024 Many residents, including descendants of the area’s enslaved and enslavers, are fighting the plan, citing the long-term health risk of living near such a facility and the slippery slope deterioration of the parish’s historic legacy. —

Whitney Nell Stewart, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for slippery slope

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of slippery slope was in 1951

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Slippery slope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slippery%20slope. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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