slippery slope
/ˌslɪ.pə.ɹiˈsləʊp/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.43 in modern English
22
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A chain of events that, once initiated, cannot be halted; especially one in which the final outcome is undesirable or precarious.
noun
A logical fallacy in which a party asserts that a particular result will probably follow from a given decision or circumstance, without necessarily providing any rational argument for the likelihood of the assumed consequence.
Example Sentences
- "I think basing your actions off an assumption like that is a slippery slope that is going to get you in trouble."
- "She's gotten herself on a slippery slope to being dismissed."
- "But our conference would find itself on a slippery slope if we started to dig over the past and look for material for recriminations and mutual accusations."
- "The path of closures and withdrawals is a slippery slope that can by itself create in the mind of the public—and particularly traders—the impression of a fading and diminishing concern."
- "“What we’re looking at is the classic slippery slope,” he said. “If the murals can be destroyed, then no work of art that anyone finds offensive is going to be safe. And that’s an awful lot of art.”"