domino

The rectangular stone was the size of a domino, set in a thick gold band with delicate swirling patterns engraved on each side.

According to the Soufan Center think tank, "if Mali falls, there could be a domino effect with other governments in the region, including in Burkina Faso and/or Niger", two other countries led by juntas.

The next domino fell soon after: Soren wanted to quit football.

The Dodgers lost, the last domino in a cascade triggered by a front office that miscast its humans as widgets in a search for even the tiniest of edges.

Understanding of tipping points has improved since the last report, its authors said, allowing for greater confidence in estimating when one might spark a domino effect of catastrophic and often irreversible disasters.