Grammar fix
a vicious cycle
self-worsening loop
a situation in which one problem causes another problem, making the first problem even worse, so the cycle keeps repeating and getting harder to break.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Many people get trapped in a vicious cycle of stress and poor sleep, where each one makes the other worse.
If people lose their jobs, they may become depressed, which can make it even harder to find new work, creating a vicious cycle that is difficult to escape.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: It's a vicious cycle that's hard to break out.
Say: It's a vicious cycle that's hard to break out of.
You 'break out OF' a vicious cycle (or just 'break' it).
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Self-perpetuating, self-reinforcing detrimental cycle' is jargon for the everyday 'vicious cycle'.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
a vicious cycle of
- of
- break
- trapped in
- create