Example
“Poor sleep hurts focus, worse focus means more overtime, and more overtime kills sleep — a vicious circle.”
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
virtuous circle
Neutral · CEFR C1
a beneficial loop in which each success makes the next success more likely
circle back
Informal · CEFR B1
to return to a topic or person later, after other things have happened
square the circle
Neutral · CEFR C1
to try to resolve a problem widely regarded as extremely difficult or impossible
domino effect
Neutral · CEFR B1
a chain reaction in which one event triggers a series of similar events
rat race
Informal · CEFR B1
the exhausting, competitive struggle to keep up at work and get ahead
burn the candle at both ends
Neutral · CEFR B2
to work so hard and long that you exhaust yourself
Source methodology
Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.