snowball

verb

Definition of snowballnext
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 Credit cards have some of the highest APRs among debt products, averaging over 20%, meaning a small balance can quickly snowball. — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026 The last thing Deion Sanders wants is for this to snowball into another horrid season, with a select few players not taking things seriously in the locker room. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 Steinem’s activism snowballed from there, campaigning for female political candidates and testifying before the Senate on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 Especially if ugly seasons like last year pile up and the problem continues to snowball. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for snowball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowball
  1. increase
  2. rise
  3. swell
  4. accelerate
  5. climb
  6. expand
Verb
  • Contributions would increase depending on family size, with a family of four expected to pay $500,000, officials said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Europe in particular appears vulnerable to increasing borrowing costs, with inflation in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain all exceeding analysts’ expectations.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • Inflation in India has been rising for 10 straight months, while economic growth has remained strong despite external challenges.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Regulatory concerns began to rise, with growing uncertainty that Netflix would be able to close its deal in short order.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • In the early 2000s, the city authorities stopped the culling of baboon troops in response to public pressure, but that has since swollen the population by a third – to around 500.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Soft, breathable and moisture-wicking, socks are designed to help improve circulation, reduce swelling and relieve aches and fatigue.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • New data showed that growth accelerated faster than expected in the second quarter.
    — Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There are more conflicts today than at any time since the Second World War, and climate disasters are accelerating.
    — Jeannie Annan, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • But as stock prices climb and bond yields increase, that relative advantage is diminishing, leaving less room for equities to absorb higher rates.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • London — Oil prices climbed Thursday on continued worries about global supply following a record number of tanker attacks that sent crossings through the Strait of Hormuz to a two-month low.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of climb
Verb
  • The same architecture can now support another round of measurements from orbit as the constellation expands.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The episode ultimately reunites Constance with two of her children, Tate and Adelaide (Jamie Brewer), as the season continues to expand its connections to the show’s earlier installments.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of expand

Browse Nearby Words

snow
snowball
snowballed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snowball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowball. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on snowball

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snowball

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All