as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the little problems we ignored began to snowball into huge headaches
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Example Sentences
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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
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
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That reticence could conceivably involve suppressing concerns about how the U.S. military’s increasing involvement in domestic missions is placing strains on resources and readiness.—
Risa Brooks,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Apr. 2025
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But construction materials, computer parts, cooling infrastructure, and power supplies are just some of the costs that are likely to increase as a result of the tariffs.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Fans chose sides, hashtags trended, and both artists saw streaming numbers rise.—
Remy Blumenfeld,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Apr. 2025
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China’s tariffs would rise by one percentage point; the European Union’s would shift by even less.—
Ben Blatt,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Before the pandemic, Jackson County Public Health had about 30 employees, but swelled to about 120 during the crisis.—
Jonathan Shorman,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
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The agency hopes the undertaking will accommodate population swells on Fort Worth’s western outskirts.—
Jaime Moore-Carrillo,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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.—
Sophia Mendelsohn,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs Wednesday affecting all U.S. trading partners and imports, plowing ahead on a risky economic strategy that promises to further accelerate a global trade war and raise anxieties about higher consumer prices at home.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Myanmar earthquake, The death toll from the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar last week has climbed to over 3,000 people.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
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More recently, Queen of Rock and Roll climbed even higher, rising to No. 17 a little over a year ago.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
29 Mar. 2025
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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.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Snowball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowball. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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