as in increases
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the little problems we ignored began to snowball into huge headaches
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of snowballs
That metaphysical connection soon snowballs into a mounting existential threat when Mia (Sophie Wilde) allows her best friend's eager little brother to have one round with the hand, after which his body is never the same.
—
Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Sometimes that snowballs for a defense.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
That then snowballs into a full-length feature Hollywood horror film.
—Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Feb. 2022
Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Sometimes that snowballs for a defense.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
That then snowballs into a full-length feature Hollywood horror film.
—Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowballs
Verb
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This increases your visibility to potential rescuers.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
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Brain activity also increases during a stress response, making movements which are usually automatic less so, and perhaps even slower.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike that hit Qlaileh village as seen from the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, on Tuesday.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
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According to the sign on the set before the curtain rises, the population of Jerome, an actual former copper-mining town in central Arizona, has evaporated, giving it ghost status.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The beach town swells with visitors in the summer, though surfers flock here any time of year for the classic surf break Plage de Lafitenia and big waves surf spot Belharra.—
Anne Olivia Bauso,
Travel + Leisure,
21 May 2026
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Throughout, visiting tourist Madeleine (Kristen Stewart) stuffs her face with every kind of meat, vegetable and carb while her father Phil (Woody Harrelson) is the one whose stomach miraculously swells.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Verb
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After menopause, when estrogen levels fall sharply, the breakdown side accelerates and the building side can’t keep up.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
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But even as investment accelerates, the assumption that skilled trades are insulated from AI is starting to shift.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Verb
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In braids and a bright yellow fishing bib, with her dog Claude at her side and a witty interjection always on the tip of her tongue, Maude climbs onto her trusty little boat and sets a course for the open sea.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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Mount McKinley, also known as Denali, rises about 20,310 feet above sea level and is considered one of the most demanding climbs in North America.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snowballs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowballs. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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