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

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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
  • If Skydance increases spending on content, that could push its competitors to also invest more, Laurent Yoon, senior analyst at the research and brokerage firm Bernstein, told me.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Though this increases the X-Y dimensions, Apple worked closely with the system team to ensure the phones' internals could support this slightly larger package.
    — Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of increases
Verb
  • The National Weather Service said rainfall was diminishing in the area but that rapid river rises and flooding remained possible.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • How to see the Taurid meteor showers Both showers appear to originate from Taurus, a constellation that rises during the evening and climbs higher into the sky as the night progresses.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of rises
Verb
  • Friday, the high tide in San Diego and La Jolla was coming in 17 inches higher than the official prediction, which doesn’t account for hotter-than-normal ocean waters or swells from tropical storms, according to NOAA’s tide forecasts.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Music, which has been the constant all-consuming river of his life, swells him into an adventure that will change him forever.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of swells
Verb
  • Using this strategy, our team found that skeletal muscle memory accelerates muscle growth.
    — Diego Hernandez-Saavedra, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Communities are being asked to do more with less as climate change accelerates, and the skills needed to care for these places are being lost.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of accelerates
Verb
  • The person who finally climbs the ladder and grabs the briefcase.
    — Bobby Burack , Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • That number climbs to 70% for adults ages 18 to 29 and 64% for those ages 30 to 49.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of climbs

Browse Nearby Words

snowballing
snowballs
snowbank
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Cite this Entry

“Snowballs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowballs. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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