open the floodgates
If an action or a decision opens the floodgates, it allows something to happen a lot or allows many people to do something that was not previously allowed:
Officials are worried that allowing these refugees into the country will open the floodgates to thousands more.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Allowing and permitting
- admit of sth
- allow
- allow of sth
- allowable
- authorization
- authorize
- concession
- green
- leave
- let
- let sb/sth in
- let sb/sth out
- licence
- license
- mandate
- OK
- permissible
- sanction
- submit
- variance
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