snowball

²snowball

verb

Definition of SNOWBALL

intransitive verb

1

: to engage in throwing snowballs

2

: to increase, accumulate, expand, or multiply at a rapidly accelerating rate

transitive verb

1

: to throw snowballs at

2

: to cause to increase or multiply at a rapidly accelerating rate

Examples of SNOWBALL

1. Problems snowball when early trouble signs are ignored.
2. What started as a small annual concert has snowballed into a full-fledged music festival.
3. consumers dealing with snowballing debt

First Known Use of SNOWBALL

1843

Related to SNOWBALL

Synonyms: accelerate, accumulate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon (also bourgeon), climb, enlarge, escalate, expand, gain, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, increase, spread, swell, wax

Antonyms: contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane

Related Words: jump, rocket, skyrocket, surge; heighten, intensify, redouble; blow up, bulk, distend, inflate, puff (up); crescendo, crest, peak

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