Avalanches are rapid cascades of rearrangements driven by cooperative flipping of hysteretic local elements. Here, we show that flipping dynamics and race conditions—where multiple elements become unstable simultaneously—give rise to dynamic avalanches that cannot be captured by static models of interacting elements. We realize dynamic avalanches in metamaterials with controlled flipping times and demonstrate how this allows us to modify, promote, and direct avalanche behavior. Our work elucidates the crucial role of internal dynamics in complex materials and introduces dynamic design principles for materializing targeted pathways and sequential functionalities.

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• Bending
• Dynamical phase transitions
• Elastic deformation
• Smart materials