A failure that occurs as a result of many smaller problems. Death by a thousand cuts could refer to the termination of a proposed deal as a result several small issues, rather than one major cause. It could also apply to a product or idea that is destroyed by too many minor changes or the failure of any other plan as a result of a cumulative chain of events.

This buzz word is derived from the idea that a small cut will not kill you, but if you get enough of them, you could bleed to death. The term is derived from an ancient form of torture, in which the condemned person was subjected to a number of less devastating wounds over time until the accumulation of damage eventually became fatal.