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
  • Kim Hong-Cheol, the South Korean military official, said leaving the dispute over the military demarcation line unresolved would increase the risk of accidental clashes because troops from both sides act on their own understanding of the line.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As rain chances increase overnight, the temperature will drop to 40 degrees.
    — Hali Smith October 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • A couple of sections in the shade, on the home sideline, rose a bit more than 3%.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But then shipping disruptions, rising fuel costs, and steep international tariffs made exporting increasingly difficult, prompting Yu to turn her attention to building a domestic market.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • Engineers trying to support swelling AI workloads, video streaming, and cloud services often add thicker cables with more fiber pairs.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Hedge fund assets swell With gross assets now standing at about $13 trillion, hedge funds have become an increasingly important part of the global investor landscape, the IMF said on Tuesday.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • The car can accelerate from zero-60 in less than a second and perform feats that once belonged in science fiction.
    — Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The company says the changes are intended to make electric vehicles more affordable while accelerating development and manufacturing.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • Yields have been generally climbing there because of worries about the government's big debt load and strained budget.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Yields have been generally climbing there because of worries about the government’s big debt load and strained budget.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of climb
Verb
  • An interceptor that can engage targets at greater distances could expand the area protected by existing air defense units.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Founded by three childhood friends, Olivier Bon, Pierre-Charles Cros, and Romée de Gorianoff, who were later joined by Xavier Padovani, the Experimental Group gradually expanded to encompass wine bars, restaurants, and boutique hotels.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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