Idiom
gateway drug
Meaning
A typically legal or less harmful substance, such as marijuana, whose use is statistically associated with an increased likelihood of progressing to a more dangerous or illicit drug.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Some people argue that marijuana acts as a gateway drug.”
“The health expert warned that using nicotine products can sometimes serve as a gateway drug for teenagers.”
“While the debate remains contentious, many policymakers fear that legalizing certain substances will create a gateway drug that leads users toward more dangerous addictions.”
Examples
simple
“Some people argue that marijuana acts as a gateway drug.”
contextual
“The health expert warned that using nicotine products can sometimes serve as a gateway drug for teenagers.”
complex
“While the debate remains contentious, many policymakers fear that legalizing certain substances will create a gateway drug that leads users toward more dangerous addictions.”
Key words
Related idioms
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