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
There are 40 games on the schedule for this inaugural season, but based on the response so far, there's a chance things could snowball into more.
—
Jori Parys,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
What started as a difficult period gradually snowballed into something that felt impossible to manage alone.
—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
The numbers snowballed as teachers grew to trust Danny Go!
—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
29 May 2026
There’s no ceiling, so losses can quickly snowball.
—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for snowball
Jori Parys,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
What started as a difficult period gradually snowballed into something that felt impossible to manage alone.
—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
The numbers snowballed as teachers grew to trust Danny Go!
—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
29 May 2026
There’s no ceiling, so losses can quickly snowball.
—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for snowball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowball
Verb
-
Your visibility increases with the start of Cancer season.
-
Health officials said the risk of exposure could increase as summer travel ramps up and Los Angeles welcomes international visitors for FIFA World Cup events being held in the region.
Verb
-
Why the at-home mani pedi trend is growing Three forces are driving the shift, including DIY beauty habits that stuck after the pandemic, the rising price of salon services and a steady stream of social tutorials that make at-home nails feel achievable.
-
Estate sales are also a source, though Miranda-Martin feels the rising popularity of these sales in Los Angeles has led to an increase in pricing.
Verb
-
Sense of place The river — which swells with spring snowmelt — and surrounding wilderness give the property a strong sense of place.
-
Symptoms can be mild to severe and range from nausea, itching, abdominal pain, swelling of the lips to life-threatening symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Verb
-
Britain's revolving door of prime minister, affecting both Labour and Conservative parties, accelerated in the wake of the 2016 Brexit vote to leave the European Union economic bloc.
-
And the pace of technology change is only accelerating.
Verb
-
Schwarber’s major league-leading home run total climbed to 28, and the performance marked the fifth three-homer game of his career.
-
Highs are expected to reach the mid-90s in the San Gabriel Valley and the San Fernando Valley, and possibly climb to 100 degrees or higher in the Antelope Valley and the Cuyama Valley in Santa Barbara County, said Weather Service spokesperson Carol Ciliberti.
Verb
-
Love’s Travel Stops just expanded its service offerings for RVs, including light maintenance, battery replacement and tire replacement.
-
California's new personal finance graduation requirement The lessons come as California prepares to expand financial education statewide.
Cite this Entry
“Snowball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowball. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
