snowball

verb

Definition of snowballnext
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the little problems we ignored began to snowball into huge headaches

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of snowball The phenomenon snowballed under the watch of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio Bolsonaro's father. — ABC News, 25 Sep. 2026 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 Steinem’s activism snowballed from there, campaigning for female political candidates and testifying before the Senate on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for snowball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowball
  1. increase
  2. rise
  3. swell
  4. accelerate
  5. climb
  6. expand
Verb
  • To increase supply, the International Energy Agency agreed on Thursday to release more than 20 million barrels of fuel to the market.
    — Arathy Somasekhar Reuters, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Preparing multiple missions Manufacturing more rocket hardware will not increase launch frequency unless teams can prepare several missions simultaneously.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • The price of Brent crude oil rose to $106 per barrel this morning.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The milestone arrives at a precarious time for Australia’s festival sector, which has seen a wave of cancellations and closures in recent years amid rising costs and softening ticket sales.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • The ballad finds Fontaines’ Grian Chatten and Rosalía trading lines over a moody acoustic strum that repeatedly swells with strings and clattering drums.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Global manufacturers increased their purchases of components and raw materials in September as demand swelled.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • Every clinical breakthrough has cost implications, accelerates the pace of change and widens the gap between what is scientifically possible and what is practical for clinicians delivering care.
    — Brad Kreick, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Its performance accelerated the slide of the ANC, once led by Nelson Mandela, which lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid and was forced to form a coalition government.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • The reveal started off with the roadster climbing a ramp which eventually left it inverted.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The result is a modest but welcome increase in output, which climbs from 370 hp to 388 hp, while torque remains unchanged at 331 ft lbs.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of climb
Verb
  • From elevating beds to expanding sections to sliding walls and even entire roofs, these 10 homes transform to get maximum use out of a compact space.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Blue Origin is expanding its Florida operations to support a much faster launch schedule, targeting multiple New Glenn flights per week by the end of the decade.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of expand

Browse Nearby Words

snow
snowball
snowballed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snowball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowball. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snowball

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