as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the little problems we ignored began to snowball into huge headaches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 snowball
The bribes started at $1,000 a week in 2013 and snowballed into $10,000 bonuses and expensive gifts including an Apple MacBook, a John Deere tractor with a backhoe and loader, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work, among other things, according to Foley’s office.
—
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2025
Morning flights are much less likely to be canceled because cancellations typically snowball as the day goes on.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025
Poole, meanwhile, spiraled into an abysmal offensive season that snowballed.
—Anthony Slater, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
It’s forced me to reexamine my relationship with injectables, which, despite being somewhat casual, had the potential to snowball into something toxic.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snowball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowball
Verb
-
Insufficient protein intake accelerates sarcopenia, or muscle wasting, which in turn increases vulnerability to illness, injury, and functional decline.—
-
Fortunately, a new moon will rise on April 27; therefore, resulting in dark skies and increasing the chance of visibility.—
Verb
-
Fans chose sides, hashtags trended, and both artists saw streaming numbers rise.—
-
China’s tariffs would rise by one percentage point; the European Union’s would shift by even less.—
Verb
-
The audio swells into an overwhelming crescendo of sound as the musician’s name and the album title flash across the screen.—
-
In November 2024, the actor and comedian told People that he was diagnosed in October after an upper respiratory infection caused swelling in his lymph nodes.—
Verb
-
Business leaders obtain the necessary insights to reduce carbon and material usage, accelerate CSRD compliance, and accurately measure the financial and sustainability impact of their decisions.—
-
President Trump’s sweeping and severe new tariffs on more than 180 countries prompted a sell-off in stock markets in the U.S. and abroad, raising investor alarm over looming trade wars and accelerating inflation as the levies threaten to increase prices for consumers.—
Verb
-
Myanmar earthquake, The death toll from the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar last week has climbed to over 3,000 people.—
-
Just like Monday night across the Hudson River when the Wild ground out a point in New Jersey, the Wild did the same thing during a 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday to at least temporarily climb back into the top wild-card spot in the West.—
Verb
-
In this slice-of-life portrait, Chen shows how childhood experiences can shape someone, illustrating how a childhood passion might expand their horizons without necessarily becoming a lifelong vocation.—
-
Several hours later, the judge expanded his order to prevent the Trump administration from deporting any migrants believed to be members of Tren de Aragua under the Alien Enemies Act.—
Cite this Entry
“Snowball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowball. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share