snowball

1 of 2

noun

snow·​ball ˈsnō-ˌbȯl 

1

a

: a round mass of snow pressed or rolled together

b

: snow cone

2

: any of several cultivated shrubby viburnums (genus Viburnum) with clusters of white sterile flowers

called also snowball bush

snowball

2 of 2

verb

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

The snowballing growth of the last few years probably cannot continue forever.

—Tamar Lewin

2

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

Synonyms of snowball

Verb

• increase
• rise
• swell
• accelerate
• climb
• expand

Examples 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

Noun

With the snowball, put it toward the debt with the smallest balance. — Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

But the fun doesn’t stop with figurines—the calendar also includes moldable sand and molds to make snowballs and snowflakes, plus pop-out play pieces like a festive tree and a sled to soar across the frozen landscape. — Chaunie Brusie, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

Credit cards have some of the highest APRs among debt products, averaging over 20%, meaning a small balance can quickly snowball. — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026

The last thing Deion Sanders wants is for this to snowball into another horrid season, with a select few players not taking things seriously in the locker room. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing snowball

• a snowball's chance in hell
• snowball effect
• snowball fight

Rhymes for snowball

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids 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 verb

1

: to throw snowballs at

2

: to increase or expand at a rapidly accelerating rate

problems snowball when early trouble signs are ignored