1
a
: a round mass of snow pressed or rolled together
b
2
: any of several cultivated shrubby viburnums (genus Viburnum) with clusters of white sterile flowers
called also snowball bush
snowballed; snowballing; snowballs
1
intransitive
: to increase, accumulate, expand, or multiply at a rapidly accelerating rate
a trend that has begun to snowball
It was one of those games in which things just snowballed and kept getting worse for Philly …—
Paul Zimmerman
Paul ZimmermanThe snowballing growth of the last few years probably cannot continue forever.—Tamar Lewin
Tamar Lewin2
transitive
: to attack with snowballs : to throw snowballs at
Any man so unwise as to walk alone by day was apt to be set upon and snowballed …—Fritz Leiber
Fritz LeiberExamples of snowball in a Sentence
Noun
This snow is perfect for making snowballs.
Verb
Problems snowball when early trouble signs are ignored.
What started as a small annual concert has snowballed into a full-fledged music festival.
consumers dealing with snowballing debt
Recent Examples on the Web
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Most importantly, senators warn that a snowball of retaliation would ensue whenever a new majority comes to power if either party were to remove or overrule her.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2025
David A. Naylor, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
If a borrower doesn't improve their score, the subprime tax can snowball over the long run, Bankrate found.
—Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snowball
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Noun
Use the snowball method for momentum or the stacking method to save money.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Most importantly, senators warn that a snowball of retaliation would ensue whenever a new majority comes to power if either party were to remove or overrule her.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2025
Verb
What started as a specific improvement snowballed into entirely new ways of doing both jobs better.
—David A. Naylor, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
If a borrower doesn't improve their score, the subprime tax can snowball over the long run, Bankrate found.
—Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snowball
Cite this Entry
“Snowball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snowball. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
snowball
1 of 2 noun
snow·ball
ˈsnō-ˌbȯl 
1
: a round mass of snow pressed or rolled together
2
: a viburnum widely grown for its ball-shaped clusters of white flowers
called also snowball bush
snowball
2 of 2 verb1
: to throw snowballs at
2
: to increase or expand at a rapidly accelerating rate
problems snowball when early trouble signs are ignored
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