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
Relevance
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
Louisa, all the producers and the writers are putting little inklings that are showing these sprinkles of just who John Tucker is that are going to snowball into things.
—
Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Left unchecked, this lint can slowly snowball, to the point where an errant spark could lead to a serious conflagration inside the vent.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
Left unchecked, this lint can slowly snowball, to the point where an errant spark could lead to a serious conflagration inside the vent.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
That might not seem like a huge amount at first glance, but with credit cards carrying an average rate of over 21% these days, even a small balance can snowball quickly.
—Aly J Yale, CBS News, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for snowball
Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Left unchecked, this lint can slowly snowball, to the point where an errant spark could lead to a serious conflagration inside the vent.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
Left unchecked, this lint can slowly snowball, to the point where an errant spark could lead to a serious conflagration inside the vent.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
That might not seem like a huge amount at first glance, but with credit cards carrying an average rate of over 21% these days, even a small balance can snowball quickly.
—Aly J Yale, CBS News, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for snowball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowball
Verb
-
Becerra’s support increased by 9 percentage points in a little more than two weeks when compared with the May 9-10 Emerson results.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
But even on a per-square-foot basis, the price has increased 33%.—
Allison Schrager,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Supply disruptions have also hit hard in Europe and Africa, where countries are responding to rising fuel costs and a considerable threat to food security.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
Airlines have faced rising fuel costs as the conflict in Iran has disrupted global oil supplies and increased energy prices.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Behind the glass sat a sea-foam green Hermes 3000, a pre-1966 model, instantly recognizable by its bulbous body and soft, swelling curves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Lucas Mukasa / Anadolu via Getty Images Angry protests swelled Monday, including in the central town of Nanyuki, which is set to host the quarantine center.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
That’s another bill that doesn’t include her name because a Senate version of the legislation, which was designed to accelerate biomedical research, is what eventually passed, Owens said.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
The consumer demand, in both African domestic markets and globally, is documented and accelerating.—
Lisa Curtis,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
The heart of a defense that is the heart of these Broncos, then, is back to try to climb through a Super Bowl window everyone in Denver knows is open.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
Nneka Ogwumike posted 20 points and 11 rebounds, passing franchise icon Lisa Leslie for most field goals in Sparks history and climbing to sixth on the WNBA’s all-time rebounding list.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The deal with Curry, who is a household name in China, is expected to further boost Li-Ning’s popularity in the country and help expand the brand’s market share in the US.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
By greatly expanding the dimensions of his images, with their muted palettes, tight cropping, found symmetries, and laconic wit, had the maestro of the photographic epigram betrayed his subtractive aesthetic?—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snowball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowball. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
