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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His appeal to local control on taxation is quite the slippery slope. — Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 22 May 2026 Bottom-six players who shine in a playoff environment can be a slippery slope. — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 16 June 2026 The rebuttal will be that any form of AI could or should be seen as theft and is a slippery slope toward taking away people’s jobs. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 26 June 2026 Relative moralism is a slippery slope because there is no fundamental belief by all in something, an absolute truth. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026 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

Rhymes for slippery slope

See All Rhymes for slippery slope

Browse Nearby Words

slippery slide
slippery slope
slip plane
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slippery slope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slippery%20slope. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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