cas·cade
(ˌ)kas-ˈkād 
1
: a steep usually small fall of water
especially
: one of a series
2
a
: something arranged or occurring in a series or in a succession of stages so that each stage derives from or acts upon the product of the preceding
blood clotting involves a biochemical cascade
b
: a fall of material (such as lace) that hangs in a zigzag line and that is used especially in clothing and draperies
3
: something falling or rushing forth in quantity
a cascade of sound
a cascade of events
Her hair was arranged in a cascade of curls.
cascaded; cascading
: to fall, pour, or rush in or as if in a cascade
The water cascaded over the rocks.
Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders.
Examples of cascade in a Sentence
Noun
Her hair was arranged in a cascade of curls.
That decision set off a cascade of events.
Verb
The water cascades over the rocks.
Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
As the belt lurches forward, mounds of old polyester shirts, sports jerseys, socks and other items cascade into a machine that will begin the process of converting them into new Repreve yarns.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 11 Apr. 2025
Alice Liu, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The first significant tests of San Diego’s positional depth arrived Tuesday in cascading fashion.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cascade
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.
Noun
That sort of insight can happen at any point along the cascade.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
As the belt lurches forward, mounds of old polyester shirts, sports jerseys, socks and other items cascade into a machine that will begin the process of converting them into new Repreve yarns.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
When major holders began exiting, the already thin order books couldn’t absorb the sudden wave of sell orders, triggering cascading liquidations across exchanges and accelerating OM’s collapse.
—Alice Liu, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The first significant tests of San Diego’s positional depth arrived Tuesday in cascading fashion.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cascade
Cite this Entry
“Cascade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cascade. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cascade
1 of 2 noun
cas·cade
kas-ˈkād
: a steep usually small waterfall
cascade
2 of 2 verb
cascaded; cascading
: to fall in or as if in a cascade
Medical Definition
cascade
noun
cas·cade
(ˌ)kas-ˈkād
: a molecular, biochemical, or physiological process occurring in a succession of stages each of which is closely related to or depends on the output of the previous stage
a cascade of enzymatic reactions
the cascade of events comprising the immune response
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share