snowballed

verb

past tense of snowball
as in increased
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 snowballed The financial pressure rapidly snowballed in recent weeks as bond yields spike and unprecedented student protests rock the country. — John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 Two years of eating brownies and pizza as meals, never working out, and entrepreneurial pressure had snowballed into gastrointestinal reflux disease. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026 That relatively innocent idea eventually snowballed into something considerably more ambitious, and ultimately became the basis for La Cinquecento itself. — New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026 The phenomenon snowballed under the watch of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio Bolsonaro's father. — ABC News, 25 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 In the three decades-plus since, a highly successful restaurant launch has snowballed into one of hospitality’s most recognizable global brands. — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026 What started as isolated demonstrations has quickly snowballed into a season-defining narrative, forcing the WNBA to navigate a level of ideological polarization rarely seen in the league. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 But Carter wasn’t, and from there, without any significant consequences, there the fisticuffs snowballed to the point one defensive skirmish lasted about four minutes before both teams finally got separated. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowballed
  1. increased
  2. swelled
  3. rose
  4. accelerated
  5. expanded
Verb
  • During a July 27 Highfill Water and Sewer Committee meeting, Kahrl reported the number of active water meters in the city increased from 2,077 to 2,285 over 12 months.
    — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • More recently, the evolution of AI has increased the ease with which these websites can be populated with content, eliminating the need to pay writers and automating the production of social media posts.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of increased
Verb
  • The ranks of the protesters have also swelled to include some more opportunistic looters and agitators.
    — Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Piper Sandler’s annual teen survey — polling 9,000 teens across 47 states — shows overall beauty spend swelled 7 percent this year, with growth across all key categories, including cosmetics, skin care, hair and fragrance.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of swelled
Verb
  • During Lula's first two terms in office, from 2003 to 2010, Brazil's economy boomed, and millions of Brazilians rose out of poverty.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Was the last petal from the enchanted rose about to fall, this beauty of a season due to turn ugly?
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of rose
Verb
  • The vehicle then accelerated forward, and Foster moved directly in front of it with his gun drawn.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The focus on fraud has noticeably accelerated in the weeks leading up to the election.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of accelerated
Verb
  • But the lead quickly expanded in the second half, thanks to a 15-0 run by Charlotte, which lasted nearly three minutes and was capped off by Allen’s three-pointer.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Development began in the 1970s, and the system became operational for military use before civilian access expanded.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of expanded

Browse Nearby Words

snowball
snowballed
snowballing
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Cite this Entry

“Snowballed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowballed. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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