as in increasing
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the little problems we ignored began to snowball into huge headaches
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Recent Examples of snowballing
But just as his mistakes were snowballing downhill, Willis rebounded from one pick and another dropped interception to make what was probably his best throw of the day.
—
David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026
The codebase becomes harder and harder to manage, so technical debt begins snowballing.
—Sebastian Avila, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026
The Mandelson revelations have dominated British media for days, snowballing into one of the country’s biggest political scandals this century.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
This kind of transparency builds safety and keeps small issues from snowballing into resentments.
—Molly Burrets, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
But the problem began snowballing only late last month, when Grok seemingly granted a large number of user requests to modify images posted by others.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
The result, advocates and doctors say, is that babies with certain genetic diseases are diagnosed only after symptoms start snowballing.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 27 Jan. 2026
But the problem began snowballing only late last month when Grok seemingly granted a large number of user requests to modify images posted by others.
—Kelvin Chan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Building momentum and snowballing your income is always satisfying.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026
The codebase becomes harder and harder to manage, so technical debt begins snowballing.
—Sebastian Avila, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026
The Mandelson revelations have dominated British media for days, snowballing into one of the country’s biggest political scandals this century.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
This kind of transparency builds safety and keeps small issues from snowballing into resentments.
—Molly Burrets, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
But the problem began snowballing only late last month, when Grok seemingly granted a large number of user requests to modify images posted by others.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
The result, advocates and doctors say, is that babies with certain genetic diseases are diagnosed only after symptoms start snowballing.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 27 Jan. 2026
But the problem began snowballing only late last month when Grok seemingly granted a large number of user requests to modify images posted by others.
—Kelvin Chan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Building momentum and snowballing your income is always satisfying.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowballing
Verb
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In the study, which analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health collected between 2021 and 2024, researchers say that despite numerous state-level bans on kratom across the nation, its use is at an all-time high and is increasing.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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These whales face increasing threats from climate change and human activity.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Not surprisingly, the number keeps rising.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
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Enter Maddie’s Secret, Early’s directorial debut, which follows a chef at GourMaybe Test Kitchen whose rising place in the food-influencer world clashes with her lifelong struggle with bulimia.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Australia is accelerating efforts to protect frontline troops from the growing threat of small drones, awarding a contract to defense technology firm OpenWorks under the Australian Defence Force’s Land 156 counter-drone program.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
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ReelShort is accelerating its Southeast Asia expansion with a new strategic partnership with Philippine telecommunications giant Globe, even as founder and CEO Joey Jia says the future of the company extends far beyond microdramas.—
Lin Ying-Hsuan,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Verb
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That enhanced fiber swelling under microwaving exposes a greater number of accessible binding sites for pigment on keratin.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
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While the Hamptons enjoy a swelling population of seasonal residents, many of whom live in palatial mansions, the Container Studio was built for an artist looking for a compact creative space close to her Hamptons home.—
Caitlin Gunther,
Architectural Digest,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Layne’s group has pushed county leaders to fund a continuous drug addiction treatment program, expanding access for those who need it both during and after incarceration.—
Gavin J. Quinton,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Episode 2 continues that methodology, pairing globally influential artists with scientific inquiry, while expanding the scope of both the artistry and the research.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snowballing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowballing. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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