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

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 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 The country music star, who is navigating his divorce from Bunnie Xo, shared how a single indulgence quickly snowballed into a binge while chatting with a fan. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026 January's was the deadliest, when security forces killed thousands to crush nationwide demonstrations that started over economic woes and then snowballed into calls for Khamenei's overthrow. — ABC News, 9 July 2026 But efforts in the greater Charlotte area have been snowballing since last fall, with Cornelius overhauling its ordinance in November and Waxhaw and Davidson following suit in February. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 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
  • The airport says arrivals to Denver are also delayed an average of 15 minutes and increasing due to the weather.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Earlier this year, Republicans had hoped to campaign on falling rates and a bipartisan bill to increase home construction to help defend their House and Senate majorities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • Eliminating the tax credit didn’t kill the EV market entirely, however, and EV sales in the US actually rose 15% from the first quarter to the second quarter of this year.
    — Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Exports of high-tech items surged nearly 41% in January-July from the same period the year before, while shipments of vehicles jumped 55% and overall exports of electronics and machinery rose 26%.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • If emotions swell midday, step outside and breathe until thoughts settle again.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, San Francisco’s wide receiver corps absorbed an early setback when swelling returned in the PCL of Pearsall’s right knee.
    — Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • While PennDOT already has created over 30 wildlife crossings, the establishment of the new cohesive group of state agency stakeholders is likely to accelerate building the safe animal passageways and reverse the high collision rate with motorists.
    — Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Campbell said some people use BPC-157 in combination with another peptide known as TB-500 to accelerate healing.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • The curious boys climbed onto the roof of their home for a better look, but climbed back down when scolded by their grandmother.
    — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Georgia homeowners are continuing to feel it in their wallets as insurance costs climb, driven by stronger storms and higher rebuilding costs.
    — Carson Bonner, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of climb
Verb
  • In the mid-1960s, the festival expanded from an intimate get-together among church members to a cultural exchange for the greater Sacramento community.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • San Gregorio State Beach is now roughly twice its size after expanding into the formerly private ranch, San Gregorio Ranch.
    — Sooji Nam, CBS News, 1 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 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on snowball

Nglish: Translation of snowball for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snowball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All