fall like dominoes

fall like dominoes

To fall sequentially. This phrase can be used to describe the physical collapse of something or the defeat of something. If that building collapses, the others around it will fall like dominoes. This movie has been so successful that it's causing box office records to fall like dominoes.

See also: domino, fall, like

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

fall like dominoes

If things fall like dominoes, they are damaged, destroyed or defeated quickly, one after the other. Since he came into the sport, the records have fallen like dominoes. Cities fell like dominoes to the rebels. Note: Other verbs, such as collapse or topple are sometimes used instead of fall. Inflation got out of control and banks started collapsing like dominoes.

See also: domino, fall, like

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012