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
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
Are HOAs required to first apply payments to prior outstanding assessments, or can payments first be applied to current dues assessments hence avoid snowballing late fees?
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
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
Are HOAs required to first apply payments to prior outstanding assessments, or can payments first be applied to current dues assessments hence avoid snowballing late fees?
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowballing
Verb
-
Leading up to Election Day, the Democratic share of those later ballots, which often determine the outcome in California, was steadily increasing as liberal-leaning voters began to make their choice.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
-
At that time, Musk accused the FTC of aggressively increasing the number of investigative demands.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
This year’s rodeo, held on August 7 and 8, is moving to the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee to accommodate rising attendance.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Early arrivals bring rising excitement While airports have not yet seen the largest crowds expected for the tournament, excitement is already building among fans who have arrived early.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Governance reforms, rising shareholder returns, accelerating share buybacks and the unwinding of cross-shareholdings are helping improve capital efficiency, while the return of inflation after decades of stagnation is boosting nominal earnings growth.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
Immigration courts in South Florida appear to be accelerating the scheduling of hearings, a move that is creating fear and uncertainty among many immigrants and their attorneys.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Take time to warm up first and scale back if exercise increases pain or swelling afterward.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
3 June 2026
-
Behind the glass sat a sea-foam green Hermes 3000, a pre-1966 model, instantly recognizable by its bulbous body and soft, swelling curves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Vietnam is expanding rooftop solar adoption as part of a broader push toward renewable energy and long-term energy security.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
Building on its successful rollout in Brazil, Juspay is expanding Click to Pay globally to eliminate manual card entry, which minimizes checkout friction, reduces cart abandonment and boosts conversion rates.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snowballing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowballing. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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