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 attack is followed by inflammation and swelling that together cause damage that snowballs to complete joint destruction, which can progress rapidly. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 The docuseries uses the incident as a case study in how quickly misinformation can snowball during moments of uncertainty. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 The inning snowballed from there, with the Sox allowing eight runs on the way to suffering a 9-5 loss in front of 28,657 at Rate Field. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026 As details of the deal emerged Wednesday, opposition on Capitol Hill and elsewhere began to snowball, with Republicans and Democrats both questioning the wisdom of the agreement. — Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 23 July 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
  • Traffic through the strait is beginning to increase, but remains sharply depressed.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Boston increased its lead to 6-4 in the sixth on an RBI triple from Abreu when right fielder Jung Hoo Lee misplayed a line drive.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • The footage mixes high-speed chases and explosive action with comedic beats, framing a story built around chaos, mismatched heroism and rising stakes as the mission unfolds.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • With five minutes of task-specific data and 10 gradient steps, its average success rate rose to 83%.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • Loose rocks, chunks of concrete and rusted metal are among the items that have emerged as powerful storm swells remove layers of sand along Newport Beach.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Pain, swelling around a joint, and stiffness in the muscles or ligaments around the joint are just some reasons movement may become restricted.
    — RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan, HEALTH, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • Broadcom sits roughly 50% below its average Wall Street price target while the AI infrastructure build-out continues to accelerate.
    — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The trend of declining foreign enrollment could accelerate after recent changes to decades-old policies limiting the ability of visa holders to change majors, switch schools and remain in the US after graduation.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • Humidity has taken another dip during the daylight hours Friday before climbing Friday evening into the beginning of the weekend.
    — Steven Sosna, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The expedition was Geis’ first attempt to climb an 8,000-meter (26,247-foot) peak in Pakistan.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of climb
Verb
  • Earlier this month, Spotify announced plans to expand its own AI labeling, focusing on telling users when an artist is artificial rather than specific songs.
    — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Longtime American soccer reporter Pablo Maurer’s story outlines a potential 20-team competition that expands the postseason field by two while also adding incentives for teams to finish higher in the table.
    — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 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 25 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on snowball

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snowball

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