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 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
  • Near Streets In urban environments, planting along high-traffic streets increases the concentrations of pollutants from car exhaust that can contaminate the fruit.
    — Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026
  • Having the flexibility to work part time or adjust hours is one factor that almost certainly increases the share of women in the labor force in Nordic countries.
    — Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
Definition of increases
Verb
  • The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • The bare, symmetrical peak rises impassively over the entire landscape.
    — Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026
Definition of rises
Verb
  • Conditions will deteriorate further by midweek as northwest swells increase, the Weather Service said.
    — Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • Coastal flooding also will remain a threat through the early part of the week, as king tides continue to pound the Bay Area coast, and the Pacific Ocean swells stay high because of storm activity in the Southern Hemisphere.
    — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
Definition of swells
Verb
  • The Destroyer accelerates with the single-minded wilfulness of a homicidal maniac.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
  • Earlier this year, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla warned that Western universities risk falling behind as China dramatically accelerates its research output.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 July 2026
Definition of accelerates
Verb
  • Coincidentally, the singer's latest LP climbs to seventh place on three rosters while holding inside the top five on two of the most competitive registers.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • The cost of broadcasting the NFL, MLB and NBA games climbs, which has prompted media players to create their own leagues.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 9 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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