slippery slope

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "slippery slope" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation in which a small decision or action leads to a larger chain of negative consequences. For example, "Going out for one drink with a coworker can be a slippery slope, leading to gossip and other office drama".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Quite the slippery slope.

The New Yorker

The slippery slope.

The New York Times

This is a slippery slope.

The New York Times

Freedom is a slippery slope.

The New York Times - Magazine

Showbiz is a slippery slope.

Independent

There is no slippery slope.

The New York Times

But it's a slippery slope.

The New York Times - Arts

"It's a very slippery slope".

The New York Times

"It's a goddam slippery slope".

The New Yorker

There's a slippery slope here.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

It was a slippery-slope situation.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Support your use of the metaphor with logical evidence to explain why the subsequent steps are likely to occur, rather than just asserting they will.

Common error

Do not use "slippery slope" as a substitute for a reasoned argument. If you claim an action will lead to disaster without showing the intermediate links, your argument may be dismissed as "faulty reasoning".

How to use

Learn how to use "slippery slope" with practical examples and tips.

How to use

Linguistic Context

As observed in Ludwig, "slippery slope" functions as a metaphorical noun phrase used to warn of a process that, once started, is difficult to stop. It often acts as the subject or object of a sentence, framing an action as the catalyst for a series of unintended and undesirable events.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Social Media

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Academia

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

Ludwig confirms that "slippery slope" is a highly frequent and grammatically correct idiom used across elite media outlets. It serves as a powerful rhetorical device to highlight risks and potential escalations in political, ethical and social arguments. While often associated with logical fallacies, its presence in high-authority publications like The New York Times and The Economist demonstrates its utility in describing complex cause-and-effect relationships. When using it, remember to provide logical steps between the initial action and the predicted outcome to ensure your argument remains robust and persuasive.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

thin end of the wedge

Focuses on a small initial change that opens the door to something much larger and more significant.

snowball effect

Emphasizes the speed and volume at which a situation grows once it has been initiated.

domino effect

Suggests a mechanical sequence of events where one trigger causes a predictable chain reaction.

dangerous precedent

Highlights the legal or social risks of making an initial decision that others might later follow.

precarious path

Emphasizes the instability and danger of a chosen course of action without necessarily implying a sequence.

downward spiral

Typically describes a situation getting worse in a rapid and uncontrolled manner.

point of no return

Refers to the specific moment in a progression where reversing course is no longer possible.

chain reaction

Describes a series of events where each event is caused by the one preceding it.

perilous descent

A more dramatic and literal variation of the metaphor highlighting the danger of the decline.

vicious cycle

Describes a repetitive sequence of events where each step reinforces the negative outcome.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "slippery slope"?

You can use synonyms like "thin end of the wedge", "snowball effect" or "dangerous precedent" depending on whether you want to emphasize the beginning or the momentum of the situation.

Is it correct to use "slippery slope" in formal writing?

Yes, as confirmed by Ludwig, the phrase is a standard English idiom. It is correctly used to describe a situation where a small action could lead to major negative consequences, such as in "The new policy is a "slippery slope" towards censorship".

What is the "slippery slope" fallacy?

The "slippery slope" fallacy occurs when someone argues that a small first step will inevitably lead to a chain of related negative events without providing evidence for that causality. To describe this more clinically, you might use "faulty logic".

What's the difference between "slippery slope" and "domino effect"?

While a "slippery slope" emphasizes a gradual and often inevitable slide into a worse state, a "domino effect" describes a series of events where one trigger causes a predictable and often rapid sequence of actions.