snowballs

verb

present tense third-person singular of snowball
as in increases
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 snowballs The attack is followed by inflammation and swelling that together cause damage that snowballs to complete joint destruction, which can progress rapidly. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowballs
  1. increases
  2. rises
  3. swells
  4. accelerates
  5. climbs
Verb
  • In fact, studies show that caffeinated coffee increases colon contractions by 60% more than plain water.
    — Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The issue has become increasingly important as the rapid expansion of AI increases demand for electricity across the country.
    — Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of increases
Verb
  • South Korea's strong economic growth has been driven largely by semiconductor exports as global demand for computing power rises with the AI boom.
    — Lim Hui Jie,Jenny Lee, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
  • For those graduating from the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne (ECSCP), which was folded into the IFM in 2019 and focuses on fashion and couture craft and technique, the ratio rises to nearly 100 percent.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of rises
Verb
  • The most recent first Kelvin wave arrived around the same time that swells from former Hurricane Rachel hit in early October, and sent seawater crashing into homes on the Long Beach Peninsula and covered Newport Beach’s Balboa Peninsula with water.
    — Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Her nearly 2-year-old daughter, Siobhan, had bacterial meningitis, a life-threatening infection that swells tissue around the brain and spinal cord.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of swells
Verb
  • Its electric motor drives the fan, which accelerates air backward to produce forward thrust.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Google just posted two quarters of negative free cash flow for the first time on record as AI spending accelerates while revenue isn’t growing as fast as expected.
    — Lucy Bayly, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of accelerates
Verb
  • The price climbs to $55 during peak travel periods, including Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, if passengers pay at least 24 hours before departure.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • As the United States climbs this escalation ladder, Washington needs to explain how additional military action will lead to a sustainable peace and a more secure regional order.
    — Letters to the Editor, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of climbs

Browse Nearby Words

snowballing
snowballs
snowbank
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snowballs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowballs. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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